MASTER 
NEGATIVE 

NO.  92-80825-10 


MICROFILMED  1993 
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AUTHOR: 


DAY,  HENRY 


TITLE: 


FROM  THE  PYRENNES 
TO  THE  PILLARS... 

PLACE: 

NEW  YORK 

DA  TE : 

1883 


-■•  i 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DEPARTMENT 


Master  Negative  # 

22'E032S-IV 


v^ 


\ 


BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MTCROFORM  TARHFT 


wmmmmm 


Original  Material  as  Filmed  -  Existing  Bibliographic  Record 


91^.01 
D33 


Day,  Henry,  1820-1893. 

From  the  Pyrenees  to  the  Pillars  of  Hercules:  obser- 
vations on  Spain,  its  history  and  its  people,  by  Henry 
Day  ...     New  York,  G.  P.  Putnam's  sons,  1883. 

iv  p.,  1  l.  249  p.     front.     19i*". 


Restrictions  on  Use: 


1.  Spain— Dcscr.  &  trav.       f.  Title. 


V 


Jibcerv  of  Congress. 


DPn.D27^. 


4-2CG50 


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MADISON    AVKXUE:. 


NEW    YORK. 


I...  ;l 


PREFACE. 


■c4 


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en 


Books  of  travel  can  claim  little  originality  so  far 
as  they  state  facts.  These  are  not  manufactured, 
but  gathered  from  all  sources  at  command,  from  his- 
tory, from  oral  communications,  and  not  least  from 
guide-books.  We  wish  to  acknowledge  our  obliga- 
tions to  Ford's  Book  on  Spain,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  thorough  and  reliable  books  on  that  country, 
and  a  most  complete  guide  to  the  traveler.  We 
have  not  scrupled  to  use  the  facts  collated  by  him 
with  the  utmost  freedom. 

It  may  be  asked  why  should  any  one  presume  to 
write  a  book  on  a  subject  so  often  treated  by 
others.  The  answer  is  that  no  two  persons  are  apt 
to  notice  precisely  the  same  objects  in  traveling, 
or  if  they  do,  they  see  them  with  different  de- 
grees of  interest  and  in  different  combinations. 
One  traveler  may  notice  natural  objects,  the  geog- 
raphy and  topography  of  the  country.  He  may 
be  fond  of  nature.     Another  will  be   more  inter- 


i: 


121370 


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IV 


J^MMWm  Cc. 


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ested  in  the  artificial  characteristics  of  the  cities, 
the  architecture,  the  arts.  Another  will  turn  his 
attention  more  to  the  people,  their  education, 
manners,  dress,  amusements,  and  their  social  life. 
Another  will  notice  all  objects  and  people  in  the 

light  of  history. 

There  is  a  great  variety  in  all  these  subjects  and 
an  infinite  variety  in  the  way  of  stating  and  com- 
bining them,  so  that  a  number  of  books  may  be 
written  on  the  same  country  by  different  persons, 
and   all   have   the   freshness   of    originality,  while 
the  general  framework  of  facts  is  common  to  all. 
So  much  we  are  l»und  to   say,   as   apology   for 
writing  on  a  trite  subject.      As  the  qualities  of 
writers  differ,  so  the  taste  of  readers  differ,  so  that 
all  writers,  however  humble  their  pretensions,  may 
find  some  sympathetic  readers.    With   this  hope, 
this  humble  effort  is  dedicated  to  the  Readers  by 

The  Author. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Preliminary  Observations  on   the  Character  of   the 

Country  and  the  People i 

Barcelona ^^ 

Monserrat 35 

Barcelona  to  Madrid 44 

Madrid ^'^ 

Toledo ^^^ 

La  M ancha ^2° 

Cadiz ^^8 

Gibraltar  and  Constantinople i88 

Tangier ^°5 

Morocco ^^° 

Malaga ^^^ 

Madrid  to  Bayonne ^^3 

Burgos ^^7 

The  Pyrenees ^35 


(I 


FROM  THE  PYRENEES  Tb 
THE   PILLARS    OF    HERCULES. 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS   ON  THE   CHARACTER 
OF  THE  COUNTRY  AND  THE  PEOPLE. 

Spain  lies  out  of  the  ordinary  route  of  travel. 
Less  is  known  of  it  than  of  any  other  European 
State.  It  has  a  wonderful  history,  which  has  never 
been  well  written  by  English  authors. 

By  looking  at  the  map  of  Europe,  some  of  the 
geographical  peculiarities  of  the  Spanish  Peninsula 
will  be  seen,  and  these  should  be  noted.  It  reaches 
a  more  southern  latitude  than  any  other  part  of 
Europe.  Cadiz  and  Malaga  lie  as  far  south  as  Tunis, 
and  have  an  African  climate  and  productions. 
Washed  by  the  waters  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  the 
Atlantic  and  the  Mediterranean,  it  is  almost  an 
island,  having  a  coast  line  of  about  2,500  miles. 

It  lays  one  hand  on  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  the 
•  grand  highway  of  commerce  to  the  Orient,  while  her 
left  hand  holds  the  Pyrenees  as  her  impregnable 
fortress. 

Thus  by  nature  she  is  constituted  an  independent 


2  PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 

kingdom,  with  unrivaled  commercial  facilities,  with 
tlimatq^*  aiid|ppii3llctions  entjr5l|C  unique  on  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe.  She  has  an  area  of  about  175,000 
square  miles,  or  one  nearly  equal  to  France,  four 
times  as  large  as  the  State  of  New  York,  and  about 
twice  as  large  as  the  British  Isles.  She  has  a  popu- 
lation of  ibnttl  sixteen  and  one-half  millions,  while 
France  has  about  thirty-six  millions. 

The  central  psirt  of  Spain  lies  on  a  high  plateau 
from  two  to  three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
this  is  reached  generally  by  traveling  sixty  or  eighty 
miles  back  from  the  coast. 

There  are  seven  distinct  chains  of  mountains  in 
Spain,  with  a  general  dip  toward  the  west. 

Along  the  plains  and  valleys,  between  these  chains 
run  the  six  principal  river%  all,  excepting  the  Ebro, 
emptying  into  the  Atlantic 

Most  of  them,  being  rapid  mountain  streams,  are 
of  no  great  use  for  commercial  purposes,  excepting 
the  Tagus  and  Duero,  the  mouths  of  which  belong 
to  Portugal.  There  is  no  internal  communication  in 
Spain  by  means  of  rivers.  The  variety  of  altitude 
gives  great  variety  of  climate  and  productions ;  you 
are  everywhere  within  view  of  mountains;  the  high- 
est, the  Sierra  Morena  and  Sierra  Nevada,  are  con- 
stantly covered  with  snow. 

The  high  central  table-lands  out  of  which  these 
mountains  rise  comprise  about  one-half  of  the  land 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS,  3 

of  the  kingdom.  They  are  denuded  of  trees,  except 
where  the  olive  groves  abound  in  the  southern  part. 
Cold,  damp  and  wind-rent  in  winter,  they  are  burned 
up  by  drought  in  summer.  Want  of  water  is  the 
great  curse  to  this  part  of  Spain.  The  average  rain- 
fall during  the  year  at  Madrid,  the  centre  of  this 
plateau,  is  only  twelve  inches,  while  the  average 
temperature  is  65°  Fahrenheit,  and  often  ranging  in 
the  summer  months  from  100°  to  110°.  Here  are 
no  fields  of  grass ;  but  the  soil,  where  it  is  irrigated, 
or  when  the  season  has  sufficient  rain,  produces  ex- 
cellent grain  of  different  varieties.  The  narrower 
valleys,  which  can  be  watered  from  the  snows  melt- 
ing on  the  mountains,  and  the  strip  of  land  along 
the  coast,  especially  on  the  east  and  south  sides,  are 
in  perfect  contrast  to  the  bare  plains  of  the  interior. 
Shielded  in  winter  by  the  high  mountains  from 
the  northern  blasts,  fanned  in  spring  and  autumn  by 
the  breezes  .of  the  Mediterranean,  and  watered  in 
summer  by  the  melting  snows  of  the  Sierras,  they 
present  a  picture  of  a  perfect  earthly  paradise.  No 
wonder  the  Moors,  from  the  hot  deserts  of  Africa 
and  the  level,  sterile  wastes  of  Arabia,  glowed  with 
delight  as  their  eyes  rested  on  these  charming  val- 
leys. No  wonder  they  fought  to  obtain  them,  and 
periled  their  all  to  keep  them.  Here  they  found 
the  orange,  the  fig,  the  aloe,  the  pomegranate,  the 
grape  and  the  palm,  the  almond  and  the  sugar  cane, 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS, 


the  mulberry  and  the  cotton  tree,  the  citron  and  the 
olive,  all  growing  side  by  side.  Here  was  perpetual 
spring. 

Spain  is  not,  deficient  in  mineral  resources.  She 
has  coal,  iron,  copper,  marbles  of  all  kinds,  gold  and 
silver;  but  she  has  mA  the  enterprise  to  develop 
them.  The  gold  of  the  New  World  demoralized 
them  centuries  ago.  It  kd  them  to  despise  labor 
and  commerce.  When  the  gold  of  the  New  World 
no  longer  flowed  in  upon  them,  they  sank,  a  poverty- 
stricken  people,  and  have  never  learned  the  art  of 
self-support. 

There  is  great  variety  of  climate  in  Spain,  aris- 
ing from  difference  in  altitude.  Among  the  moun- 
tains of  Grenada  and  the  Pyrenees  the  weather  is 
delightful,  even  in  summer.  Along  the  coast  the 
heat  of  summer  is  generally  very  great,  but  warm 
and  spring-like  all  winter,  when  the  grain  is  green, 
the  oranges  ripening,  and  roses  blooming.  The 
houses  of  the  people  have  no  fire-places. 

To  one  accustomed  to  our  warm  houses  they 
seem  chilly  in  midwinter  in  Madrid  and  Grenada, 
which  have  an  altitude  of  2,500  feet. 

When  it  is  particularly  cold  the  people  have  a  pan 
of  charcoal,  called  a  brazier,  set  on  the  floor,  in  a 
wooden  frame,  which  gives  out  a  gentle  heat  for  a 
long  time,  enabling  them  to  keep  the  feet  warm  and 
tempering  the  chaiine^  of  the  room.      The  poor 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS, 


people  have  no  such  luxury,  even,  as  this.  In  the 
lower  stories  of  their  stone  houses  the  dampness  and 
cold  are  penetrating,  and  you  will  see  the  people  in 
the  houses  wrapped  in  cloaks.  Little  children  look 
chilled,  and  nothing  is  more  common  than  to  hear 
an  ominous  cough,  showing  that  pulmonary  diseases 
prevail.  As  the  hot  season  is  the  longest  and 
severest,  the  houses  and  streets  are  built  with  refer- 
ence to  keeping  out  the  heat  of  summer.  The 
people  depend  on  the  sun,  in  winter,  for  warmth. 
You  will  often  see  women  and  children  ranged  along 
by  a  wall  in  the  sun,  much  as  we  would  gather 
around  a  fire.  There  is  often  a  difference  of  30  or 
40  degrees  between  the  sunny  and  the  shady  side  of 
the  street.  The  weather  in  Barcelona,  Valencia, 
Malaga  and  Gibraltar  is  charming  in  winter;  even 
invalids  would  find  very  few  days  when  fire  is 
needed. 

It  hardly  seemed  possible  to  us,  in  January,  when 
the  sun  was  too  warm  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and 
trees  in  bloom,  that  there  could  be,  in  the  same  lati- 
tude in  America,  snow  and  ice,  and  the  dreariness  of 
winter. 

Formerly  there  were  fourteen  different  political 
divisions  in  Spain,  more  or  less  independent  of  each 
other,  such  as  Leon,  Navarre,  the  two  Castiles, 
Catalonia,  Estremadura,  Andalusia,  Grenada,  etc., 
having  different  rulers  and  different  laws,  and  hence. 


§  PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 

in  many  respects,  the  people  of  these  different  prov- 
inces differ  iii  cSaraCtcf,  manners,  customs,  dress 
and  language. 

The  Castiks  embrace  the  largest  and  the  central 
portion  of  Spain.  They  were  so  named  from  the 
number  of  their  castles  in  olden  times.  Never  being 
thoroughly  subdued  by  the  Moors,  always  loyal  to 
the  Church,  its  great  champion  against  the  Moslem 
invader,  they  are  the  stern,  haughty,  sedate  aris- 
tocracy of  all  Spain,  the  descendants  of  the  old 
Goths,  of  the  famous  old  knights  and  warriors  who, 
under  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  expelled  the  Moors, 
who  despise  labor  and  triie,  who  live  on  their  high 
plains  and  lonely  steppes,  which  are  treeless  and 
songless,  without  hamlets  or  fences,  where  every 
height  is  surmounted  by  some  decaying  castle, 
around  and  in  which  deeds  of  high  valor  have  been 
done  by  their  ancestors,  and  which  are  perpetu- 
ated among  them  in  romance  and  song.  They  cling 
to  their  gloomy,  joyless  plains  with  all  the  de- 
votion of  ancient  chivalry. 

The  Catalans,  in  the  northeast  part  of  Spain,  are 
more  industrious,  active  and  commercial  in  their 
habits.  They  are  called  the  Yankees  of  Spain,  and 
have  been  merchants  from  the  days  of  the  Phoe- 
nicians. Andalusia,  in  the  southwestern  part,  is  the 
garden  of  Spain.  It  embraces  Cordova,  Seville, 
Cadiz  and  Gibraltar.     The  people  are   mercurial, 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS.  / 

happy  and  easy-going,  more  fond  of  pleasure,  and  of 
social  and  intellectual  pursuits,  than  of  labor.  They 
have  more  of  the  manners,  customs,  character  and 
blood  of  the  Moors  than  the  Castilians.  Nature  is  so 
prodigal,  the  climate  so  benignant,  that  the  least  labor 
supports  life.  A  little  oil,  gariic,  bread  and  oranges 
are  all  that  the  peasant  requires.  The  sun  and  his 
cloak  warm  him  in  winter;  his  tall  house  and  open 
court  shade  him  in  summer.  Here  originated  some 
of  the  finest  scholars  and  the  best  artists  of  Spain. 
One  cannot  fail,  in  the  easy  life,  the  procrastination 
of  all  activity,  the  everlasting  to-morrow,  the  songs, 
the  guttural  accent,  the  dress  and  the  houses,  to  see 
the  resemblance  to  the  Arab  race. 

Estremadura,  in  the  western  part,  is  almost  a  des- 
ert, although  one  of  the  best-watered  and  most  fer- 
tile provinces.  It  is  given  up  to  immense  herds  of 
swine  and  sheep.  It  was  once  highly  cultivated, 
and  well  populated  by  the  Moors,  but  when  they 
were  expelled  it  was  abandoned  to  wild  birds  and 
beasts  for  ages,  until  gradually  the  shepherds  of 
Leon  and  the  northern  provinces  brought  down 
their  flocks  in  winter,  to  feed  on  these  unclaimed 
pastures,  until  at  length  they  claimed  the  prescrip- 
tive right  of  pasturage  in  summer,  which  begat  in- 
finite disputes  between  them  and  the  residents. 
This  right  at  last  settled  into  a  law  called  the  Cus- 
tom of  Mesta.     These  flocks  would  come  in  detach- 


8 


PXELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


ments  of  10,000,  each  having  a  conductor,  fifty  at- 
tendants, and  fifty  dogs.  Some  of  the  flocks  would 
travel  500  miles.  By  the  law  of  the  Mesta  a  sheep- 
walk  of  ninety  paces  broad  was  left  uninclosed  for 
the  driving  and  feeding  of  the  sheep,  which  pre- 
vented aU  proper  cultivation.  Here  were  born  and 
reared  the  wild  and  bloody  men,  Cortez  and  Pi- 
zarro. 

Ronda  and  Grenada,  to  the  southeast,  are  moun- 
tainous provinces,  with  beautiful  fertile  valleys 
called  vegas,-  watered  from  the  snows  of  the  sur- 
rounding mountains.  They  are.  under  the  influence 
of  irrigation,  marvels  of  fertility,  sometimes  produc 
mg  four  crops,  and  never  less  than  two,  annually 

They  were  the  strongholds  of  the  Moors,  and  the 
last  from  which  they  were  dislodged.  They  held 
on  to  these  mountain-locked  valleys  and  to  these 
fortresses,  dominated  by  their  castles,  for  two  cent- 
uries after  the  other  parts  of  Spain  had  been  wrest- 
ed from  them. 

This  province  is  the  home  of  the  smuggler,  the 
gay  contrabandista,  who,  by  the  kindly  aid  of  the 
English  at  Gibraltar,  brings,  duty  free,  all  that  " 
women,  priests  and  peasants  fancy-a  gay,  joyous, 
reckless,  well-dressed  fellow  is  he,  whom  everybody 
hkes.  The  scenery  here  is  as  wild  and  grand  as  in 
any  part  of  Switzerland.  The  diligence  roads  are 
few  and  the  journey  must  generally  be  made  over 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS.  g 

wild  paths  on  horseback.  The  peasants  of  Spain 
are  generally  a  strong,  able-bodied,  independent, 
polite  race  of  men.  They  are  industrious  in  their 
way.  The  climate  makes  it  necessary  to  take  life 
easily.  The  men  of  the  better  classes  have  an  intel- 
ligent countenance,  but  a  thin,  feeble  body,  as  if 
their  powers  had  been  sapped  by  some  dissipation. 
The  men,  high  and  low,  everywhere,  and  at  all  times, 
in  the  railroad  car,  at  the  dinner  table,  between  the 
courses,  smoke— forever  smoke— never  the  pipe,  not 
often  cigars,  but  generally  the  cigarette.  Every 
man  has  his  pouch  for  tobacco  and  his  paper  for 
making  cigarettes,  and  almost  every  man  will  have 
his  thumb  and  forefinger  discolored  by  the  holding 
of  the  burning  tobacco.  The  peasant  women  are 
small  and  stout,  with  coarse,  sunburnt  features. 

The  ladies  are  short,  well-formed,  inclined  to 
stoutness,  with  black  hair,  large  dark  eyes,  long  eye- 
lashes, fair  complexion,  square  faces,  with  features 
not  particularly  handsome.  There  is  no  variety  of 
feature  or  of  form  among  them.  They  all  look 
alike.  The  hair  is  always  neatly  dressed  with  a 
braid  or  roll  on  the  top  of  the  head,  and  with  nat- 
ural flowers.  The  ladies  as  a  rule,  never  wear  bon- 
nets. The  beautiful  mantilla  is  always  worn  in  the 
street.  It  is  a  black  lace  vail,  sometimes  large  and 
sometimes  small,  which,  thrown  over  the  head,  falls 
gracefully  upon  the  shoulders  and  nearly  to  the  feet, 


i 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 

or  may  be,  more  closely  gathered  on  the  breast  and 
fastened  by  some  pretty  ornament.  Those  who  can- 
not  4iord  this  mantilla  will  wear  a  silk  handkerchief 
beautifully  colored,  tied  over  the  head.  The  more' 
common  people  wear  a  coarser  one  tied  over  the 
head  in  a  similar  way. 

The  charm  of  the  women  is  not  so  much  in  the 
beauty  of  the  face  as  in  symmetry  of  form,  graceful 
walk  and  bearing,  and  in  their  style  of  dress.  The 
lady,  and  even  the  little  girl,  will  always  have  her  fan. 
This  seems  to  be  her  talisman.  She  talks  with  it, 
flirts  with  it,  fans  and  hides  her  face  with  it,  and  by 
its  peculiar  motions  every  one  knows  what  its  fair 
possessor  thinks  and  feels. 

The  standard  dress  of  the  gentleman  is  the  capa 
or  cloak,  generally  of  black  cloth,  with  some  brilliant 
lining,  with  one  side  thrown  over  his  left  shoulder 
reveahng    the    brilliant    lining  as  it   falls    behind! 
The  poor   man   has  his   cloak  also   to   cover    his 
rags.     This   national    costume    was    said   to   have 
been     adopted    for     greater     facility    in    carrying 
and  in  using  concealed  weapons,  and  the  attempt 
to  abolish  by  law  the  wearing  of  this  garment  and 
the  slouched  hat  which  concealed  the  face,  led  to 
a  revolution  in  Madrid  some  200  years  ago.     The 
custom  was  stronger  than  the  king,  and  the  people 
still  retain  the  capa.    What  law  could  not  do,  how- 
mm  fashion  is  doing.    The  young  swells  and  aris- 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS, 


II 


tocracy  of  the  great  cities  now  are  leaving  the  old 
Spanish  dress  for  the  more  fashionable  garments  of 
Paris. 

PROMINENT   POINTS. 

A  glance  at  a  few  prominent  points  in  the  history 
of  Spain  will  make  more  intelligible  what  we  shall 
have  to  say  hereafter. 

The  Phoenicians  had  colonies  in  the  Southern 
part,  before  the  foundation  of  Rome.  Andalusia 
was  called  by  them  Tartessus,  from  whence  they  de- 
rived precious  metals,  corn  and  oil.  This  Tartessus 
was  the  destination  of  Jonah,  which  he  probably 
would  have  reached  had  he  not  been  detained  by  an 
unexpected  event  which  removed  him  to  another 
sphere  of  usefulness.  The  Annalists  of  Spain  say 
that  it  was  first  settled  by  Tubal. 

The  Greeks  also  traded  with  the  ports  of  this 
country,  which  was  then  called  Iberia,  and  many  of 
the  cities  claim  to  have  been  founded  by  Hercules, 
as  the  frequent  towns,  temples  and  statues  dedi- 
cated to  him  attest.  From  antiquity  his  name  has 
been  written  on  the  pillars  of  the  Straits  between 
the  Atlantic  and  the  Mediterranean. 

The  Phoenicians  seemed  to  have  transferred  their 
allegiance  in  time  to  the  Carthaginians,  and  after- 
ward, when  the  colossal  empire  of  Rome  was  over- 
shadowing the  world,  all  these   colonies  submitted 


MK 


FMEiimmAMY  OBSERVATIONS. 

to  her  after  a  series  of  bloody  wars.  It  was  the 
battle-ground  of  Hamilcar,  Hannibal  and  Scipio 
before  the  Ghfistlan  era.  The  whole  country  was 
brought  into  entire  subjection  to  the  Romans  about 
the  time  of  Augft^iis  Csesary  and  called  Hispania. 

The  Romans  made  the  peninsula  one  of  their 
iBOSt  prosperous  colonies  ;  they  introduced  all  their 
civilization,  laws  and  customs;  built  cities,  roads, 
castles  and  bridges,  some  of  which  remain  to  this 
day.  They  educated  the  whole  nation  in  the  arts, 
agriculture  and  architecture,  and  for  four  centuries 
iinder  their  sway  the  Spaniards  remained  a  culti- 
vated and  civilized  people.  Seneca  and  Lucan  and 
the  Emperors  Trajan,  Adrian  and  Theodosius  were 
born  here. 

When  the  Roman  Empire  began  to  dissolve  from 
its  own  corruption,  the  Visigoths  overran  and  con- 
quered Spain,  but  brought  with  them  their  barbar- 
Isill.  They  despised  labor  and  trade,  and  this  quality 
has  ever  since  adhered  to  the  Spaniard.  They  inter- 
married with  the  Oiiginal  inhabitaiits  and  founded  a 
splendid  empire,  embracing  parts  of  France,  all  of 
Spain,  and  part  of  Africa,  near  the  Straits. 

They  adopted  the  Latin  language  and  the  Cath- 
olic faith,  and  from  that  time  the  power  of  the  priest 
has  been  predominant  in  Spain.  The  Goths  elected 
their  monarchs  in  an  assembly  called  the  Cortes,  con- 
fiililf  of  the  nobailjr  and  the  bishops.    They  took 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


13 


oath  to  obey  him  as  long  as  he  ruled  justly,  and  7io 
longer,  but  declared  the  people  were  greater  than  the 
king,  and  he  was  their  servant.  This  institution  of 
old  Gothic  freedom,  called  the  Cortes,  of  which  the 
English  Parliament  and  States  General  of  France 
are  other  examples,  although  shorn  of  much  of  its 
power,  has  survived,  and  has  been  the  bulwark  of 
Spanish  liberty,  till  now  it  has  again  re-asserted  its 
ancient  prerogatives,  and  secured  again  for  Spain  the 
form  of  a  good  government. 

The  Goths  came  into  Spain  about  409  A.  D.,  and 
continued  in  power  until  711,  when  their  authority 
was  entirely  subverted  by  the  Moors. 

Three  centuries  of  indulgence  and  luxury  in  the 
genial  climate  of  Spain  had  changed  the  character 
of  these  simple  and  hardy  warriors.  Intestine  divis- 
ions had  also  weakened  them,  while  the  authority 
of  Mohammed,  then  in  the  first  century  of  its  exist- 
ence, was  fired  with  all  the  ardor  and  self-denial  of 
fanaticism. 

The  head  of  the  Moslem  power,  at  this  time,  was 
the  Caliph  of  Damascus.  His  fiery  hordes,  carrying 
their  religion  with  the  sword,  had  extended  them- 
selves from  Arabia,  over  Egypt,  along  the  northern 
coast  of  Africa,  even  to  the  Straits,  and  they  were 
now  attacking  the  Gothic  settlements  at  Teutan, 
near  the  African  Pillar  of  Hercules. 

Looking  across  the  Straits  to  the   continent  of 


14 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


IS 


Europe,  their  eyes  rested  on  the  charming  valleys 
and  fields  of  Spain.  It  was  a  land  rich  in  gold  and 
silver,  abounding  in  mountains,  valleys,  springs  and 
fruits  of  every  kind,  a  perfect  contrast  to  the  arid 
plains,  and  they  longed  to  possess  it. 

Musa-ben-Nozier,  an  Arabian,  was  the  commander 
ol  tbe  S^r^cen  Army,  encamped  in  Barbary.  Roder- 
ick, the  last  of  the  Goths,  was  ruler  in  Spain.  One 
of  file  most  desperate  leaders  of  the  Saracens  was 
a  tall,  lean,  sun-burnt  warrior  from  Damascus  called 
Taric  el  Tuerto,  or  one-eyed  Taric.  He  sought  to 
lead  the  daring  expedition.  With  a  small  army  he 
crossed  the  Straits,  and  fortified  himself  on  the  rock, 
now  called  after  him  Gibraltswr,  or,  as  it  was  then 
called,  Gebal  al  Taric,  the  rock  of  Taric.  He  burned 
Ills  sfilps  behind  hflll,  as  did  Cortez,  in  Mexico.  His 
followers  asked :  "  How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  do  not 
conquer ?••  The  fiery  Saracen  answered:  "There 
is  no  escape  for  the  coward.  We  must  conquer, 
or  die." 

"  But  how  shall  we  return  home  if  we  conquer?  " 

"  Your  home,"  replied  Taric,  "  is  before  you  ;  you 
iniiil  ff ill  il  with  the  sword." 

In  a  few  days  the  whole  power  of  Spain  was  upon 
his  little  amiy.  A  terrible  battle  was  fought  at 
Xeres,  between  Seville  and  Cadiz,  and  not  far  from 
Gibraltar.  It  raged  for  three  days.  The  luxurious 
Goths  could  not  withstand  the  desperate  valor  of 


f  ^  I 

Ml 


the  Moor;  and  at  last  Roderick  was  slain  and  the 
Goths  defeated. 

Luxury  and  dissension  had  weakened  the  Goths 
and  given  them  a  prey  to  the  Moslem,  and  the  same 
agents,  dissension  and  luxury,  seven  centuries  later, 
destroyed  forever  the  Mohammedan  power  in 
Spain. 

As  has  so  often  been  the  case  in  the  great  wars 
of  the  world,  it  is  said  that  there  was  a  woman  at 
the  bottom  of  this  great  invasion  ;  and  the  very  ro- 
mantic story  is  told  of  how  Roderick,  the  king,  be- 
came enamored  of  the  beauty  of  the  daughter  of 
Count  Julian  as  he  saw  her  at  the  bath,  and  how  he 
violated  even  kingly  authority  to  possess  her,  and 
how  in  revenge  Count  Julian  invited  the  Moors  to 
invade  Spain,  and  betrayed  his  own  country  into 
their  hands.  This  romance  of  Roderick,  Count 
Julian,  and  his  daughter  would  fill  a  volume. 

To  the  honor  of  the  Moors,  be  it  said,  they 
brought  with  them  a  superior  civilization.  After 
the  battle  of  Xeres  they  spread  over  the  whole 
country,  but  they  allowed  the  people  to  exercise 
their  religion  and  retain  their  property  on  condition 
of  paying  tribute. 

For  about  forty  years  the  Moors  of  Spain  ac- 
knowledged the  authority  of  the  Caliph  of  Damas- 
cus, and  he  appointed  their  rulers.  But  in  758  they 
declared  themselves  independent  of  the  Caliphate  of 


i 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS, 

Damascus,  and  appointed  their  own  Caliph,  whose 
seat  was  at  Cordova.  They  were  a  wonderful 
people,  far  in  advance  of  their  Christian  neighbors. 
The  people  were  industrious,  and  agriculture  flour- 
ished.  They  had  plantations  of  sugar,  rice  and 
cotton. 

Their  cities  were  filled  with  merchants,  and  their 
ships  traded  with  all  part§  of  the  world.  They  had 
manufactories  of  paper,  steel,  carpets,  silk,  leather, 
and  gold  and  silver  embroidery.  They  had  schools 
where  chemistry,  mathematics,  astronomy,  philoso- 
piy  and  medicine  were  taught,  and  were  the  first 
to  teach  the  use  of  figures  and  algebraic  signs. 
They  had  great  taste  in  architecture  and  in  the  adorn- 
ment  of  thpir  bouses  and  gardens,  as  the  Mosque 
ilf  Cordova  and  the  Palace  of  Alhambra  and  the 
Moorish  cities  of  Cordova,  Seville  and  Malaga  show 
at  the  present  time. 

They  essayed  to  carry  the  Crescent  into  France 
and  overrun  all  Christendom,  but  received  a  check 
at  the  great  battle  near  Poictiers,  fought  by  Charles 
Martet »  7J2. 

They  now  founded  a  magnificent  kingdom  in 
Spain,  which  lasted  for  nearly  eight  centuries. 

There  was,  however,  a  portion  of  the  Goths,  who 
inhabited  the  northern  parts  of  Spain— brave,  hardy 
and  independent,  living  among  the  Pyrenees  and 
along  the  Bay  of  Biscay— who  were  never  conquered 


\ 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS.  I'y 

by  the  Moors.  These  mountaineers  sustained  their 
religion  and  independence,  and  little  by  little,  cen- 
tury after  century,  they  increased  in  power,  made 
constant  inroads  on  the  land  of  the  Moors,  and  one 
by  one  regained  the  great  cities  of  Spain  from  the 
Moorish  yoke. 

The  great  idea  of  the  Christian  world,  from  the 
pth  to  the  1 2th  centuries,  was  to  exterminate  the 
infidel.  From  this  sentiment  originated  the  Cru- 
sades to  the  Holy  Land,  and  in  Spain  all  the  power 
of  the  Church  and  of  chivalry  was  centred  in  this 
one  object.  The  expulsion  of  the  Moor  was  a  holy 
crusade.  Knights  and  warriors  of  all  countries 
flocked  to  Spain,  and  vied  with  each  other  in  daring 
deeds  of  valor  in  fighting  the  Saracens. 

In  these  times  rose  the  immortal  Cid,  the  greatest 
hero  of  Spanish  Romance.     He  took  Valencia  from 
the  Moors  in  1094;  St.  Ferdinand  took  Cordova  in 
123s,  and  Seville  in  1242.    So  that  at  last,  in  the 
13th  century,  the  Moors  were  driven  back  to  the 
southern  parts  of    Spain,   into  the   mountains  of 
Grenada  and  Ronda,  which  they  held  until  1492, 
when  the  conquest  of  Grenada  was  completed  and 
Boabdil,  the  last  Moorish  king,  delivered  the  keys  of 
the  Alhambra  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  on  the 
20th  of  January  of  that  year,  and  the  power  of  the 
Moslem,  which  had  existed  for  nearly  eight  cent- 
uries in  Spain,  came  to  an  end. 


i 


i8 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


The  Christians  had  gunpowder  and  cannon — then 
recently  come  into  use — as  their  great  weapon,  with 
the  chivalry  and  Christianity  of  Europe  leagued 
with  them.  The  Moslems  were,  notwithstanding, 
their  equals  in  valor  and  in  skill,  but  there  were  dis- 
sensions among  them,  and  this  was  their  ruin. 

No  tale  of  romance  can  be  more  exciting  than  the 
siege  of  Grenada,  as  told  by  Washington  Irving,  and 
to  read  it  while  traveling  through  the  mountain 
passes,  or  in  sight  of  lofty  castles,  or  within  the 
courts  of  the  Alhamibr^  ll  full  view  of  the  scenes 
where  those  daring  deeds  were  performed,  is  most 
thrilling. 

The  century  from  1490  to  1590  was  one  of  im- 
mense importance  to  Spain. 

It  was  here  at  Grenada,  during  the  siege,  that  Co- 
lumbus was  commissioned  by  Ferdinand  and  Is- 
abella to  cross  the  Western  Ocean  in  search  of  a 
new  passage  to  the  Indies,  and  which  resulted  in 
overwhelming  Spain  with  gold,  luxury,  power  and 
indolence. 

It  was  in  this  century  that  the  Inquisitioa  was 
established,  with  all  its  horrors,  in  Spain,  which 
dwarfed  the  intellect  of  the  nation  for  ages. 

In  this  century  that  the  Jews  and  the  Moors,  the 
most  industrious  classes  in  Spain,  were  expelled, 
and  trade  and  agriculture  left  to  languish  for 
centuries,  and  even  tii  now.     It  was  in  this  age, 


PRELIMINARY   OBSERVATIONS. 


19 


and  in  Spain,  that  Ignatius  Loyala  was  born,  and 
Jesuitism,  that  curse  of  all  Catholic  countries,  had 
its  rise.  All  these  great  events  have  been  fearful 
curses  to  Spain.  They  together  swept  over  her  like 
the  besom  of  destruction,  not  only  prostrating  agri- 
culture, trade  and  commerce,  but  changing  and 
stultifying  the  very  character  of  the  people. 

To  one  who  desires  to  trace  the  causes  of  all  these 
evils,  I  think  it  will  be  found  that  they  at  last  cen- 
tre back  in  their  system  of  religion.  The  Romish 
church  is  answerable  for  all  the  consequences  of  the 
expulsion  of  the  Jews,  the  Inquisition  and  Jesuit- 
ism. The  history  of  Spain,  from  the  time  of  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella,  is  the  record  of  a  sad  decline 
from  the  highest  position  among  the  European 
powers  to  the  lowest.  The  more  recent  troubles  in 
Spain  have  arisen  out  of  Salic  law,  or  the  law  which 
prohibits  a  female  from  sitting  on  the  throne.  This 
law,  which  always  prevailed  in  France,  never  pre- 
vailed in  Spain  until  the  time  of  Philip  V,  in 
1750,  when  he  ordained  it  as  the  law  of  Spain,  and 
it  so  remained  until  about  1832,  when  Ferdinand 
VII,  about  to  die  without  a  son,  repealed  the 
Salic  law,  so  that  his  infant  daughter,  Isabella,  might 
become  Queen. 

On  the  death  of  Ferdinand  VII,  in  1833,  Don 
Carlos,  his  brother,  was  the  male  heir,  who  would  be 
entitled  to  the  throne  in  case  the  Salic  law  were  in 


li«IT    ■■■ 


20 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


21 


force.  Of  course  he  claimed  that  Ferdinand  VII, 
could  not  repeal  the  law — but  why  could  he  not  re- 
peal it  if  Philip  V  could  ordain  it  ? 

But  as  the  throne  was  the  game,  each  party,  as  is 
usual,  had  convincing  arguments,  and  hence  the  war 
of  the  Carlists  in  1833.  Don  Carlos  was  defeated 
and  Isabella  reigned  until  1868,  when  she  was  ex- 
pelled and  a  republic  established. 

She  then,  while  in  banishment,  abdicated  in  favor 
of  her  son,  Alfonso  XII,  the  present  king. 

The  recent  war  1^  thi^  Carlists  has  been  carried 
on,  on  the  assumption  that  the  Salic  law  is  still  in 
force,  and  that  Don  Carlos  is  the  rightful  heir. 

MARSEILLES   TO    BARCELONA. 

From  France  we  can  enter  Spain  by  one  of  three 
ways — from  Bayonne  by  rail  to  Irun,  from  Per- 
pignan  by  diligence  over  the  Pyrenees,  or  from  Mar- 
seilles by  steamer  to  Barcelona.  We  will  enter 
Spain  by  the  last  route,  and  leave  it  by  the  first. 
The  steaaififs  from  Marseilles  to  Barcelona  make  the 
voyage  in  twenty-four  hours. 

The  sail  from  the  harbor  of  Marseilles  presents  a 
beautiful  picture.  The  mole  which  protects  the 
shipping  from  the  swell  of  the  outer  harbor  is  a 
grand  artificial  work,  and  the  granite  walls,  with 
storehouses  erected  on  them,  extend  for  miles  be- 


fore the  city.  The  Port  is  filled  with  the  shipping 
of  all  countries. 

Passing  out  of  the  grand  entrance  to  the  outer 
harbor,  the  city  begins  to  loom  up  before  us, 
stretching  away  on  to  the  hills,  while  far  above  the 
harbor,  the  masts  and  the  churches,  on  the  loftiest 
eminence,  one  thousand  feet  above  the  city,  stands 
the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde,  its  tower 
surmounted  by  a  colossal  statue  of  the  holy  mother 
stretching  her  arms  in  blessing  over  the  city  of 
which  she  is  the  patron  saint.  She  is  the  last  object 
the  sailor  sees  as  the  shores  recede  beyond  the 
waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  first  to  greet 
his  view  as  he  makes  for  the  port.  We  also  turn 
our  eyes  to  her — not  in  worship,  but  in  admiration 
— as  we  steam  out  of  the  harbor  past  the  island  If, 
and  of  Monte  Cristo,  forever  made  famous  by 
Dumas. 

In  twenty  hours  we  are  approaching  the  port  of 

BARCELONA, 

in  Catalonia,  which  constitutes  the  northwestern 
portion  of  Spain.  Catalonia  has  a  sea  line  of  about 
250  miles,  and  is  the  most  commercial,  industrious, 
prosperous  and  rich  of  all  the  provinces  of  the 
peninsula.  It  has  eight  cathedral  towns,  of  which 
Barcelona  and  Tarragona  are  the  largest.  The 
Catalans — the  Yankees  of  Spain — are  very  indus- 


22 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS, 


triotis.  The  land  is  well  cultivated,  and  here  is  the 
only  part  of  Spain  where  we  have  seen  the  hills  ter- 
raced and  planted  with  the  vine  and  the  olive.  You 
will  see  the  laborers  at  work  before  sunrise  in  the 
fields.  Manufactories  of  all  kinds  abound,  espe- 
cially of  cotton,  and  to  such  an  extent  that  I  was  in- 
formed that  Barcelona  was  the  third  port  for  im- 
porting cotton  in  the  world,  Liverpool  and  Havre, 
only,  importing  more. 

Barcelona   is    surrounded    by    manufactories    of 
paper,  cotton  and  silk,  with  tall  chimneys,  which, 
rising  from  among  green  olive  groves,  do  not  pre- 
sent the  forbidding  appearance  of  a  manufacturing 
town.     The  Catalans  are  quite  distinguished   from 
other  Spaniards  in  language,  dress  and  habits.    The 
proud  and  haughty  Castilian  cannot  understand  the 
patois  of  the  Catalan,  and  will  not  recognize  these 
bankers,  merchants  and  manufacturers  as  gentlemen. 
Like  all  commercial  people,  they  are  fond  of  their 
liberties,   and   have    always  been  ready  to   revolt 
against  their  Government   and  set  up  a  republic. 
They  have  been  the  leaders  in  nearly  every  modern 
insurrection,  and  have  been  almost   as  cruel  and 
bloodthirsty  at  such  times  as  the  French, 

All  the  common  people  wear  the  blood-red  cap, 
which  is  a  bag  of  woolen  cloth  about  a  foot  long. 
One  end  is  fitted  to  the  head,  and  the  other  is  gath- 
ered and  falls  behind  or  at  the  side.    They  have 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


23 


short  jackets  and  long  pantaloons.  The  women 
wear  the  mantilla,  or  a  handkerchief  of  colored  silk 
over  the  head,  and  a  tight  bodice.  They  have  large, 
black,  rather  fierce-looking  eyes,  and  one  can  well 
suppose  that  they  have  a  tincture  of  Arab  or  Creole 
blood  in  their  veins.  They  have  more  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  French  and  the  Genoese  than  of 
the  real  Spaniard. 

Catalonia  exports  large  quantities  of  wine  and  oil. 
In  some  of  the  districts  it  is  said  that  in  time  of 
vintage  the  mud  of  the  streets  is  blood-red  with  the 
refuse  of  the  grape  after  the  juice  is  pressed  out,  and 
that  the  legs  of  the  peasants,  which  are  the  real  wine 
press,  are  of  a  rich  crimson  dye. 

To  see  the  dirty,  slovenly  way  of  making  the  wine 
does  not  tend  to  increase  one's  appetite  for  the  deli- 
cious beverage.  The  wines  here  are  generally  thick 
and  black  as  ink,  and  called  black-strap.  They  are 
exported  largely  to  Bordeaux,  to  enrich  poor  clarets 
prepared  for  the  American  and  English  markets. 

Another  branch  of  trade  in  Catalonia  greatly  inter- 
ested me,  and  I  took  some  pains  to  gather  some  par- 
ticulars of  it  from  the  people.  I  refer  to  the  culture 
and  the 

MANUFACTURE  OF  CORK. 

The  cork  is  an  oak  which  grows  best  in  poorest 
soil.  It  will  not  endure  frost,  and  must  have  sea  air, 
and  also  an  aUitude  above  the  sea  level.     It  is  only 


2^ 


FREUMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


fouild  along  all  the  coast  of  Spain,  the  northern 
coast  of  Africa  and  the  northern  shores  of  the  Med- 
iterranean. There  are  tiro  Barks  to  the  tree,  the 
outer  one  being  stripped  for  use.  The  cork  is  valu- 
able accoriing  a9  j|  is  S9ft  and  velvety.  The  method 
of  cultivating  it  is  interesting.  When  the  sapling  is 
about  ten  years  old  it  is  stripped  of  its  outer  bark 
filf  about  two  feet  from  the  ground ;  the  tree  will 
then  be  about  five  inches  in  diameter,  and  say  six 
feet  up  to  the  branches.  This  stripping  is  worthless. 
The  inner  bark  appears  blood-red,  and  is  called  the 
j^ir/  of  the  tree,  and  if  it  is  split  or  injured  the  tree 
dies.  After  eight  ©f  ten  years  the  outer  bark  has 
again  grown  In,  suid  then  the  tree  is  again  stripped 
four  feet  from  the  roots.  This  stripping  is  very 
coarse,  and  is  used  as  floats  for  fishing  nets.  Every 
ten  years  thereafter  it  is  stripped,  and  each  year  two 
feet  higher  up,  until  the  tree  is  forty  or  fifty  years 
old,  when  it  is  in  its  prim^,  and  may  then  be  stripped 
every  ten  years,  from  the  ground  to  the  branches, 
and  will  last  two  bttaiined  years.  The  third  crop  is 
very  poor  cork,  and  is  used  to  make  the  coarsest 
kinds  of  stoppers  for  jars,  soles  of  shoes,  etc.  It  is 
about  twenty  years  before  anything  can  be  realized 
from  the  tree,  and  for  this  reason  the  Spaniards,  who 
are  not  fond  of  looking  after  posterity,  plant  few  new 
trees. 
Tte  best  cork  grows  in  Catalonia,  and  is  used  for 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


25 


bottling  champagne.  For  this  purpose  it  must  be 
thick,  supple,  velvety,  and  free  from  holes.  The 
generous  wines  from  Xeres  (or  Sherry)  and  of  Oporto 
require  also  a  perfect  cork. 

It  is  said  that  over  thirty  millions  of  bottles  of 
champagne  are  manufactured  every  year,  and  that 
the  price  of  champagne  corks  is  from  four  to  eight 
cents  each;  and  when  we  consider  the  immense 
amount  of  cork  used  for  other  wines,  soda,  beer,  and 
mineral  waters  manufactured  in  England,  America 
and  Germany,  we  shall  see  that  the  trade  is  some- 
thing enormous.  The  price  of  cork  has  doubled  in 
the  last  fifteen  years,  and  the  owners  of  cork  for- 
ests and  the  speculators  in  the  leases  of  them  have 
amassed  immense  fortunes.  England  furnishes  the 
best  market  for  cork.  The  cork  wood  is  much  used 
in  Russia  for  the  lining  of  railway  carriages  and  for 
partitions  in  houses. 

Corks  are  manufactured  largely  in  the  villages  of 
Catalonia,  and  entirely  by  hand.  Men,  women  and 
boys  are  employed  in  cutting,  assorting,  washing  and 
packing  them.  The  men  earn  from  three  to  four 
francs,  and  the  women  from  one  and  a  half  to  two 
francs  per  day.  A  good  workman  will  cut  1,500  per 
day,  and  a  woman  1,000.  All  corks  are  here  cut  by 
hand,  from  the  smallest  vial  cork  up  to  the  bung,  by 
a  sharp  knife  ten  inches  long  and  three  and  a  half 
inches  wide.     The  machine-cut  corks  of  the  United 


26 


FREUMINARY  OBSERVATIONS. 


States  have  a  rough,  fuzzy  coat,  and  are  apt  to  be 
imperfect,  while  the  workman  by  hand  only  cuts  the 
perfect  wood.  Corks  for  the  fine  wines  must  be  per- 
fect, and  only  the  skilled  workman  can  detect  the 
holes  in  the  centre  by  the  weight. 

All  Spaniards  are  averse  to  novelties,  and  even  the 
enterprising  Catalan  will  have  no  labor-saving  ma- 
chines.   They  still,  as  all  over  Spain,  plow  with  a 
crooked  stick,  the  same  thing  exactly,  as  appears 
from  Egyptian  monuments,  that  was  used  three 
thousand  years  ago.    They  threaten  to  lynch  any  one 
who  will  introduce  a  cork-cutting  machine.    All  the 
houses  are  built  with  reference  to  keeping  out  heat 
and  draughts.     In  all  country  houses  no  doors  open 
directly  from  without,  but  turns  are  made  in  the 
front  hall  to  keep  out  the  air.    The  houses  here,  as 
in  all  Spain,  have  no  fire-places.     My  informant,  who 
was  an  intelligent  cork  manufacturer  and  an  edu- 
cated German,  says  the  Catalans  are  a  joyous,  happy 
people,  living  on  little  and  satisfied ;  that  there  are 
no  class  distinctions ;  that  poor  and  rich  mingle  more 
together  than  in  any  other  country ;  that  the  women 
are  children  of  Nature,  fond  of  dress,  flowers  and 
amusements ;  that  the  daughters  of  the  lawyers  and 
doctors  and  of  the  best  citizens  of  the  country  towns 
will  cut   corks  to  make   for  themselves   spending 
money ;  and  even  the  factory  girl,  who  makes  twenty 
cents  per  day,  will  spend  four  cents  for  flowers ;  that 


PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS, 


27 


she  will  always  have  fresh  flowers  in  her  hair  and 
others  in  a  glass  before  her  when  at  work ;  that  they 
have  very  little  education,  but  great  natural  gifts  of 
conversation ;  that  the  men  never,  except  on  great 
occasions,  go  to  church,  but  the  women  go  in  the 
morning,  and  immediately  after  they  go  to  the  rural 
dance  ;  that  they  live  out-of-doors,  often  eat  out-of- 
doors;  surrounded  by  a  picturesque  country,  they 
are  fond  of  scenery  and  lovers  of  Nature. 


BARCELONA. 


All  Spanish  cities  are  old,  and  Barcelona  is  one  of 
the  most  ancient.    The  local  historian  is  fond  of  claim- 
iftg  ffjai  ftercufes  founded  this  city  400  years  before 
Romulus  was  born.     Be  that  as  it  may,  it  bears  the 
name  of  HanUcar  Barca,  the  father  of  Hannibal, 
and  has  ever  been  a  famous  port.     It  is  probably 
the  richest  and  most  enterprising  of  all  the  Spanish 
cities.     Like  Venice   and   Genoa,  it  was  a  higher 
honor  in  Barcelona  to  be  a  great  merchant  than  to 
wear  the  armorial  distinctions  of  a  warrior  knight. 
While   the   old  Andalusian  and   Castilian    knights 
were  seeking  renown  on  the  tented  field  the  mer- 
chant of  Barcelona  was  amassing  money  by  trade  in 
foreigii  p«|it&    The  consequence  is,  the  Barcelonese 
are  rich  and  cosmopolitan  and  the  Castilians  poor 
and  proud. 

Barcelona  is  the  best  seaport  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  Spain.  Its  natural  advantages  are  considerable 
as  a  harbor,  but  they  require  an  extensive  wall  to 
protect  them  from  the  easterly  winds  of  the  Medi- 
terranean. The  first  object  which  attracts  the  eye, 
on  approaching  the  city,  is  the  fortress,  called  Fort 
Montjuick,  wlifgh  feowns  down  upon  the  city  from 
a  height  of  800  feet.     It  was  probably  intended  as 


BARCELONA, 


29 


f 


much  to  keep  the  turbulent  citizens  in  check  as  for 
a  defence  for  the  harbor  and  town.  The  view  from 
this  fort  is  very  grand.  The  Mediterranean  is  before 
you.  Its  coast,  dotted  with  villages,  can  be  traced 
far  north  to  the  Pyrenees.  The  city  lies  at  your  feet, 
while  all  around  in  the  suburbs,  among  the  green 
trees,  can  be  seen  the  tall  chimneys  of  different  man- 
ufactories. 

The  city  is,  for  a  Spanish  city,  cleanly  and  well 
built,  and  consists  of  the  old  and  new  parts.  The 
modern  city  is  handsomely  built  up  with  large,  fine 
houses  divided  into  flats,  which  are  as  elegant  as 
the  residences  of  Paris.  A  great  feature  in  the  out- 
door life  of  a  Spaniard  is  his  promenade.  Here  they 
I  spend  their  evenings  and  take  their  exercise.  Here 
the  mothers  come  with  their  daughters,  without 
bonnets,  but  with  the  mantilla  thrown  gracefully 
over  the  head.  If  the  mother  is  not  with  the  young 
lady,  a  very  attenuated  old  duenna  attends  her  in 
her  evening  walks,  and  in  Barcelona  it  is  proper  thus 
to  parade  the  streets  in  fine  weather  till  12  o'clock 
at  night. 

Barcelona  has  one  grand  promenade,  called  the 
Rambla,  extending  from  the  harbor  through  the 
city.  It  is  continued  into  the  new  part  of  the  town, 
where  it  is  called  the  Paseo  de  Gracia,  which  con- 
sists of  five  avenues  of  trees,  and  is  the  grand  drive 
of  the  wealthy  people. 


3P 


BARCELONA, 


BARCELONA. 


31 


The  shops  of  the  city  are  very  fine,  especially  in 
the  display  of  jewelry,  fine  dresses  and  articles  of 
luxuryi  They  are  brilliantly  lighted  in  the  evening, 
and  there  the  ladies  of  the  city  may  be  seen  shop, 
ping  or  admiring  the  show  till  late  at  night. 

Generally  the  great  feature  of  a  Spanish  city  is 
ili  ciibedral,  and  our  first  visit  is  ordinarily  to  it. 
We  first  ascend  its  tower,  and  obtain  a  general  idea 
of  tbe  size,  locality,  surroundings,  and  appearance 
nf  the  city  as  a  whole.  The  cathedral  of  Barcelona 
is  a  grand  old  edifice.  It  was  built  on  the  site  of  a 
pagan  temple,  converted  into  a  mosque  by  the 
Moors,  and  afterw^ard  added  to  and  rebuilt  into  its 
present  form.  The  roof  is  very  lofty  and  supported 
by  light,  graceful  pillars.  The  high  altar  is  sur- 
fHiinded  by  a  semi-circle  of  columns,  and  below  it  is 
the  crypt  where  lies  the  body  of  Eulalia,  the  patron- 
ess of  the  city,  who  was  killed  by  Dacian  in  304,  A.D. 
Her  body  was  miraculously  revealed  to  the  bishop, 
in  878,  by  its  sweet  smell,  and  was  borne  to  this, 
its  last  resting  place,  by  two  kings,  three  queens, 
four  princesses,  and  cardinals  and  bishops  without 
number. 

I  find  in  Spain  that  this  odor  of  sanctity,  this  sweet 
indl  issuing  from  the  body  of  some  saint  hundreds 
of  years  after  his  or  her  death,  has  been  a  favorite 
way  of  revealing  the  mortal  remains,  when  the  relicsi 
or  body  of  a  saint  were  needed  to  give  notoriety  to 


"i 


some  chapel,  church  or  city.  Sometimes,  instead  of 
an  odor,  a  bright  light  reveals  to  some  pious  bishop 
the  last  resting-place  of  the  holy  one,  but  the  sweet 
smell  seems  to  be  the  most  favorite  test.  Thus  it 
comes  to  pass  that  almost  every  church  and  cathe- 
dral in  Spain  has  these  invaluable  relics  of  departed 
sanctity,  which  constitute  a  centre  for  the  devotion 
of  the  people,  and  often  a  notoriety  which  gathers 
thousands  of  pilgrims  annually  from  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom.  Barcelona  is  too  practical  a  city  for  much 
of  this  extreme  devotion.  The  worldly  religion  of 
this  city  of  merchants  and  bankers  manifests  itself 
in  the  various  schools  and  colleges  for  the  teaching 
of  law,  medicine  and  science  ;  in  the  building  of  hos- 
pitals, while  their  splendid  cathedral  remains  unfin- 
ished and  no  one  frequents  it  but  a  few  old  men 
and  women  and  beggars.  While  bishops,  priests 
and  choir,  to  the  number  of  sixty,  are  performing 
their  grand  services  with  not  so  many  worshipers 
present,  the  worldly-minded  merchants  are  devoting 
their  charities  and  time  to  these  institutions  to  edu- 
cate the  people  and  to  alleviate  suffering. 

We  were  speaking  of  the  cathedral.  Even  the 
front,  a  fine,  lofty  design,  remains  unfinished, 
although  all  the  marriage  fees  for  three  centuries 
have  been  reserved  for  this  purpose.  The  front  is 
composed  of  stucco  and  paint,  and  probably  will  so 
remain  for  ages  as  an  argument  for  pious  contribu- 


33 


BARCELONA. 


BARCELONA. 


33 


tions.  There  are  two  singular  features  about  this 
cathedral  which  we  have  not  seen  out  of  Catalonia, 
viz.,  the  numerous  belfry  towers  made  of  ornamental 
iron  frames,  and  the  multitude  of  Saracens*  heads 
used  as  corbels.  The  head  of  the  Saracen,  grim, 
horrid  with  pain,  or  grinning  with  torture,  is  used  as 
the  water-spout  from  the  roof.  It  shows  how  a  na- 
tiO'iWlI' 'SCillillieiil  #1  m.feople — ia  this  case,  hatred  of 
the  Moor — stamped  itself  upon  the  architecture  of 
the  nation  and  originated  one  of  its  peculiar  features. 

Everywhere  in  Spain  the  people  are  demoralized 
by  the  sale  of  government  lottery  tickets.  These 
are  sold  at  all  prices,  from  lo  cents  upward.  Every 
porter,  every  waiter  at  the  caf^s,  boys  and  women 
in  the  street,  are  selling  the  tickets  for  a  small  com- 
mission given  by  the  government.  Almost  all  the 
poor  people  are  gambkrs  in  lottery  tickets.  We 
were  at  Barcelona  about  Christmas  time,  when  the 
drawing  takes  place.  The  excitement  was  extreme 
among  the  common  people.  One  old  man  told  me 
he  had  bought  tickets  all  his  life  and  spent  all  he 
earned  in  this  way,  and  had  drawn  one  prize. 

Christmas  and  New  Year's  day  are  festivals  de- 
voted to  pleasure,  eating  and  dancing.  In  prepara- 
tion for  it  you  will  find  the  streets  filled  with  flocks 
of  live  turkeys,  and  peasants  from  all  parts  of  the 
province,  with  their  picturesque  dresses,  selling 
them.    A  particular  wafer  called  neulas  and  a  cake 


\ 


called  turrones— made  of  honey,  almonds  and  sugar, 
which  is  the  very  quintessence  of  all  sweets — are 
then  sold  everywhere. 

Hotel  life  is  much  the  same  in  Spain  as  in  France, 
but  of  a  lower  order.  You  have  chocolate  and  a 
roll  in  your  room  early  in  the  morning ;  breakfast  of 
courses,  which  is  really  a  dinner,  at  1 1  o'clock,  and 
table  d'hote  dinner  at  6.  But  the  smells  of  the 
hotels  are  simply  horrible ;  even  in  the  large  cities 
and  in  the  smaller  hotels  of  the  towns  they  are  pes- 
tilential. This  arises  from  the  want  of  drainage. 
Generally  there  is  no  water  in  the  house  and  no 
connection  with  any  sewer,  and  the  whole  house  is 
pervaded  with  these  dreadful  odors,  such  as  no 
people  but  the  Spaniards  can  produce  or  endure. 
The  wonder  is  that  the  people  do  not  all  die  of 
typhoid  fever. 

Barcelona  has  now  about  170,000  inhabitants,  and 
IS  a  delightful  city  for  a  winter  residence.  The  cli- 
mate is  mild,  tempered  by  the  breezes  from  the 
Mediterranean;  the  sun,  in  winter,  is  warm  and 
genial;  storms  are  rare.  Rents,  in  fine  new  resi- 
dences, are  cheap,  and  living  at  the  hotels  about  two 
dollars  and  a  half  a  day.  It  has  great  social  advan- 
tages, being  the  capital  of  the  Province,  the  see  of  a 
bishop,  and  the  residence  of  a  captain-general,  so 
that  visitors  do  not  want  for  church  or  military  dis- 
I  plays.    Their  university,  their  commercial,  civil,  mil- 


34 


BARCELONA, 


itary  and  art  academies  have  given  a  social  culture 
to  the  people,  and  their  constant  intercourse  with 
other  nations  has  given  them  a  cosmopolitan  char- 
acter not  ordinarily  met  with  in  Spain.  They  have 
here  one  of  the  finest  opera-houses  in  the  world, 
those  of  Naples  and  Milan  only  being  superior 
to  it. 

It  was  here  in  Barcelona  that  Columbus  was  re- 
ceived by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  in  April,  1493, 
after  his  return  from  the  discovery  oft  he  New  World; 
and  here,  at  the  Church  El  Belim,  is  deposited  the 
sword  of  Ignatius  Loyola,  which  he  consecrated  to 
the  Virgin,  before  her  altar  in  Monserrat,  in  1522. 


I 


T 


MONSERRAT. 

Monserrat  is  one  of  the  many,  and  perhaps  the 
most  celebrated  of  the  sacred  shrines  of  Spain.  It 
lies  about  twenty  miles  northwest  of  Barcelona,  near 
the  Barcelona  and  Saragossa  Railway.  Leaving 
Barcelona  before  sunrise,  we  found  the  peasants 
working  in  the  fields,  and  always  wearing  a  red  cap, 
with  a  long,  slouched  top.  The  common  people 
work  early  and  late,  but  take  their  siesta  from  eleven 
till  two  o'clock,  or  later.  The  heat  of  midday  for- 
bids work,  and  this  circumstance  has  fixed  the  al- 
most universal  custom  of  the  country  in  regard  to 
labor.  The  railroad  passes  over  a  country  made  up 
of  high,  bold  hills,  sloping  to  the  top,  and  furrowed 
and  broken  by  gulches  worn  by  water-courses  in 
rainy  weather,  with  higher  ranges  of  mountains  in 
the  distance  running  in  every  direction.  These  moun- 
tains are  often  separated  by  rapid  streams,  winding 
their  way  among  them  from  the  higher  mountains 
in  the  interior  to  the  sea.  Along  these  streams  the 
railroad  finds  its  way,  often  along  high  cliffs  and 
through  tunnels  piercing  the  red  rocks.  Hills, 
mountains  and  valleys  are  covered  with  the  vine. 
Not  an  inch  of  land  is  wasted.  Even  to  the  tops  of 
the  highest  hills,  and  along  the  precipitous  base  of 


^Ijll  I 


36 


MONSERRAT, 


mountains,  where  a  vine  will  grow,  there  you  will 
find  a  terrace  well  cultivated  and  tanks  for  artificial 
irrigation.  Often  the  mountain  sides  are  blasted  out 
and  a  place  walled  up  for  a  vine^over^d  terrace. 

Monserrat  is  a  fo%,  ]^^^^^  niass  of  rock,  about 
twenty-five  miles  in  circumference,  rising  up  from 
the  ordmary  level  of  the  country  about  four  thou- 
sand feet.  The  beautiful  river  Llobregat  winds 
around  its  base,  furnishing  water  power  for  numer- 
ous silk  and  cotton  mills. 

The  name-Monserrat-signifies  the  saw-like  char- 
aclcr  of  the  mountain  peaks.     The  range  is  cleft  in 
sunder  by  one  awful  chasm  from  east  to  west,  and 
rising  l«|r  tieusand  feet  high  along  this  chasm  are 
numerous  sharp  peaks,  serrated,  smooth,  resembling 
the  teeth  of  a  saw  in  the  distance ;  but  on  nearer 
approach  they  tower  above  you  straight   into   the 
clouds,  some  resembling  the  teetfe  of  a  tiger,  some  the 
tusks  of  elephants,  some  a  sugar-loaf.     One,  called 
the  head  of  San  Antonio,  is  much  like  the  head  and 
face  of  a  man.     One,  an  immense  lofty  rock,  is  like 
a  sphinx,  beside  which  the  Sphinx  of  Egypt  appears 
like  a  baby. 

Before  ascending  the  mountain  we  should  give  a 
short  account  of  its  history,  to  show  how  it  has 
gained  its  sacred  character.  On  one  of  its  rocky 
heights  once  dwelt  a  Noriijan  lord,  whom  the  Moors 
in  the  eighth  century  were  not  able  to  expel.     To  a 


MONSERRA  T. 


37 


certain  cave  on  this  mountain  the  people  brought  a 
famous  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  to  prevent  its  fall- 
ing into  the  hands  of  the  Moors.     This  image  was 
made   by   St.  Luke,    in   Jerusalem,   A.   D.    50,   and 
brought  by  St.  Peter  to  Spain.     For  centuries  the 
image   remained   in   this   cave,    forgotten   by  man. 
After  the  expulsion  of  the  Moors,  the  Virgin,  weary 
of  so  monotonous  a  life  for  her  favorite  image,  re- 
vealed  its  resting-place  to   some   shepherds  by  a 
bright  light,  and  afterward  to  the  pious  Bishop  of 
Vique  by  a  sweet  smell  which  preceeded  from  the 
cave.     The    Bishop   prepared  to  carry  her  in  great 
state  into  Manresa,  a  town  near  by,  to  his  cathedral, 
but  after  proceeding  along  the  mountain  side  a  little 
way,  the  Virgin  obstinately  refused  to  go   farther ; 
and  here  afterward,  about  two  thousand  feet  up  the 
mountain  side,  in  a  most  sightly  and  romantic  spot, 
was  built  her  chapel. 

In  976  a  convent  was  erected  here  for  the  Bene- 
dictines, and  this  became  a  famous  shrine  for  the 
Catholic  world.  Emperors  and  kings  came  here  and 
laid  their  gifts  before  the  Virgin.  The  monastery 
became  one  of  the  largest  and  richest  in  Spain. 
Philip  II  opened  the  splendid  chapel,  where  the 
Virgin  now  is,  in  1599. 

Around  this  chapel,  clinging  to  the  mountain 
sides,  are  immense  piles  of  buildings,  capable  of 
holding  two  hundred  monks.     This  monastery  was 


,11 


MONSEKRA  T. 

suppressed  ia  1835,  and  all  but  thirteen  monks  were 
turned  adrift  on  the  cold  world.  The  French  plun- 
dered this  convent  in  1810,  carried  off  all  the  silver 
ornaments,  and  defaced  and  destroyed  what  was  o( 
no  use  to  them,  as  they  did  in  almost  every  city  of 


We  left  the  railway  at  Monistrol,  about  three  miles 
ffom  the  foot  of  the  mountain.    A  diligence  con- 
veys  us  from  thence  to  the  monastery,  about  half- 
way  up  the  mountain.     Looking  at  the  mountain 
from  the  north,  the  top  of  it  looks  like  the  jaw  of  an 
immense  alligator,  with  the  teeth   upward.     The 
sixles  1,1  the  mountain   recede  upward  in  terraces, 
like  the  Pyramids  of  Gizeh.    Of  so  much  importance 
is  this  holy  shrine,  that  the  government  has  con- 
structed  and  keeps  ia  order  a  magnificent  road,  wind- 
ing up  in  zigzag  course,  like  the  roads  of  Switzerland 
for  two  thousand  feet  to  the  monastery.     Here  is 
the  chapel  and  the  Virgin,  and  here  we  must  pass 
the  night  in  the  cold,  bare  cells  of  the  dead  monks 
with  a  stMe  floor,  long  ranges  of  gloomy,  empty 
cells  around  us,  and  the  vaults  of  the  departed  monks 
beneath  us.    We  have  a  coarse,  clean  bed,  a  jug  of 
water,  a  towel,  and  nothing  more.    A  good-natured, 
frowzy.looking  old  moijc,  the  only  one  we  saw  con 
ducts  us  to  the  oaken  door,  gives  us  the  long,  ande^, 
rusty  key,  and,  withcml  light  or  fire  in  the  winter 
mght,  we  are  left  to  our  thoughts.     We  had  been 


MONSERRAT. 


39 


told  during  the  day  that  one  good  old  monk,  long 
since  dead,  often  wandered  among  the  scenes  of  his 
earthly  career  after  nightfall.  This  added  to  the 
interest  of  the  occasion  when  all  was  dark  and  still, 
and  we  heard  the  owls  hooting  from  the  shadowy 
recesses  of  the  old  cloisters. 

It  was  a  night  of  weird,  strange  sensations.    Here 
the  great  Charles  V  had  come  on  a  pilgrimage ;  here 
also,  his  son  Philip  H  paid  his  devotions.     Here, 
in  the  chapel,  Loyola,  in   1522,  after  watching  all 
night  before  the  image  of  the  Virgin  in  prayer  and 
fasting,  dedicated  himself  to  her  service  and  laid  his 
sword  on  her  altar,  which  is  now  preserved  at  Barce- 
lona.   Here  monks  and  anchorites  from  all  the  noble 
famihes  and  royal  houses  of  Spain  spent  their  lives, 
never  departing  from  these  walls,  and  their  bones  lie 
mouldering  in  the  crypts  below.    But  however  weird 
and  strange  were  our  thoughts  at  night  in  these 
gloomy,  forsaken  cloisters,  with  owls  and  bats  for 
our  companions,   the    morning    dispelled   all   such 
gloom.    We  could  see  the  sunrise  on  the  high  peaks 
over  us,  while  the  valleys  were  all  dark  below.     The 
mist  was  rising  over  the  river  which  threaded  its  way 
far  below  us  down  through  the  valleys.     The  white 
villages  one  by  one  came  out  through  the  mists  as 
the  sun  rolled  them  up  the  mountain  sides. 

Those  old  monks  had  chosen  a  glorious  place  for 
their  home.    The  chief  object  of  interest  at  the  mon- 


40 


MONSERRA  T. 


astery  now  is  the  chapel  of  the  Virgin,  containing  her 
image,  her  dresses,  and  the  room  full  of  votive  offer- 
ings which  have  been  made  to  her.     The  chapel  is  a 
large,  fine  church,  but  its  best  things  have  been  carried 
away  bjr  i|t  French.     We  cannot  but  admire  the 
boldness  of  the  undertaking  to  build  so  massive  a 
church  on  this  inaccessible  height.     The  Virgin  is 
raised  to  a  little  gallery  over  the  high  altar.     She  is 
dressed  up  in  tawdry  finely,  ribbons  and  tinselry. 
She  is  made  of  black  wood,  and  holds  a  child  on  her 
lap  and  a  ball  in  her  right  hand.     One  room  behind 
lie  high  altar  is  devoted  to  the  safe-keeping  of  the 
votive  offerings  made  to  the  Virgin  in  return  for 
•iiwJfiS  Wfoiigjit,    The  room  is  filled  with  a  great 
medley  of  articles,  among  which  are  faces,  legs,  arms, 
hands  and  feet,  fil  from  marble;  crutches,  canes, 
military  hats  and  coats  worn  in  battles,  with  the 
former  owners'  names  attached ;  rude  pictures,  repre- 
senting great  deliverances,  most  of  them  coarse  and 
ridiculous,  as  if  intended  for  caricatures.     For  ex- 
ample, one  represents  a  man   with  a  donkey-cart 
struck  by  a  railroad  train.     The  donkey  and  cart  are 
thrown  into  the  air,  tie  donkey  with  his  feet  up- 
wards  and  the  cart  on  the  top  of  the  man,  and  all 
tumbling  in  mid-air  over  a  f  j-eclpice.    Another,  a 
little  chap  falling  down  stairs  and  yelling  most  lust- 
ily ;  another,  a  child  falling  out  of  a  window  ;  people 
on  sick  beds  praying  to  the  Virgin.     These  are  fair 


MONSERRA  T. 


41 


specimens  of  hundreds  of  pictures  which,  framed  and 
hung  around  the  room,  attest  the  wonder-working 
power  of  the  Virgin.  All  this  trumpery  shows  what 
a  hold  the  worship  of  Mary  has  on  the  people,  high 
and  low ;  but  the  most  significant  fact  showing  this 
is  that  sixty  thousand  persons  annually  come  on  pil- 
grimage to  the  monastery  of  Monserrat  to  pray  be- 
fore this  Virgin. 

While  we  were  there,  one  poor  creature,  an  old 
woman,  arrived  on  foot  from  Naples,  and  peasant 
women  from  the  country,  with  some  burden  on  their 
hearts,  had  come  to  get  relief  from  the  holy  mother. 
When  our  party  were  admitted  to  the  gallery 
where  the  Virgin  was,  these  poor  creatures  pressed 
in,  and  it  was  a  sight  which  brought  tears  to  the 
eyes  to  see  them  weeping,  clasp  the  Virgin's  feet 
and  tell  her  their  sorrows  and  supplicate  her  help. 

As  yet  we  are  only  half  way  up  Monserrat. 
From  the  monastery  to  the  highest  point  of  St.  Je- 
ronimus  it  is  two  thousand  feet.  The  path  lies  along 
the  face  of  a  fearful  chasm,  which  divides  the  moun- 
tain from  east  to  west.  It  is  said,  that  it  was  rent 
in  twain  on  the  day  of  the  crucifixion.  From  the 
monastery  to  the  top  of  St.  Jeronimus,  scattered 
along  the  steep  and  diflficult  path,  are  twelve 
stations  or  hermitages,  each  perched  on  some  lofty 
and  almost  inaccessible  rock.  The  one,  on  the  top 
of  the  highest  point,  is  called  the  Hermitage  of  St. 


42 


MONSERRA  T, 


Jeronimus;  another,  St.  Andrus  ;  another,  Santiago, 
until  nearly  the  whole  calendar  of  the  saints  is  em' 
blazoned  upon  these  weather-beaten  points.     The 
way  up  along  the  chasm  which  divides  the  mountain 
runs  along  high,  dizzy  cliffs,  ascends  by  steps  cut  in 
the   rock,  passing  these  hermitages  one  after  the 
other.     It  is  called  the  Via  Cruets,     All  these  her- 
mitages were  once  filled  with  anchorites,  who  lived 
each  in  his  cell  alone  on   these  lofty  heights,  from 
which  he  never  departed  alive  after  he  had  once 
entered  it;    and  yet,   it   is   said,   these   cells  were 
eagerly  sought  as  a  great  prize  by  the   devotees  of 
those  days.     The  view  from  the  top  of  St.  Jeron- 
imus  is  exceedingly  grand.     We   stood  there  as  the 
mm  went  down ;  the  blue  sea  was  far  to  the  east ; 
tie  whole  country,  seen  from  the  top,  was  broken 
into   undulating  hills,   rising   into   mountains;   the 
Pyrenees   rose  far  away  on  the  northern  horizon, 
covered  with   snow;    mountains    abounded   every- 
where ;  and  from  these  lofty  pinnacles,  looking  be- 
low, it  appeared  as  if  a  tumultuous   sea  had   been 
suddenly  petrified  in  its   most   angry   commotion; 
the  beautiful  Llobregat  wound  like  a  thread  of  silver 
at  our  feet,  and   a  few  miles  away  in  the  valley, 
just  before  us,  at  the  north,  lay  the  city  of  Manresa; 
and  near  by  it  the  cave  where   Loyola  passed  a 
whole  year  in  penance  before  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  Virgin  at  Monserrat,  and  where,  it  is  said,  he 


MONSERRA  T. 


43 


wrote  his  book — the  rules  of  his  famous  order — 
under  the  very  eyes  of  the  Virgin,  who  looked  from 
her  lofty  and  jagged  throne,  on  Monserrat,  with 
smiles,  down  upon  her  faithful  knight  keeping  vigils 
in  his  lonely  cave. 


42 


MONSERRA  T, 


Jeronifflus;  another,  St.  Andrus  ;  another,  Santiago, 
until  nearly  the  whole  calendar  of  the  saints  is  em- 
blazoned upon  these  weather-beaten  points.     The 
way  up  along  the  chasm  which  divides  the  mountain 
runs  along  high,  dizzy  cliffs,  ascends  by  steps  cut  in 
the   rock,   passing  these   hermitages  one  after  the 
other.     It  is  called  the  Via  Crucis,    All  these  her- 
mitages were  once  filled  with  anchorites,  who  lived 
each  in  his  cell  alone  on   these  lofty  heights,  from 
which  he  never  departed  alive  after  he  had  once 
entered  it;    and  yet,   it   is   said,   these   cells  were 
eagerly  sought  as  a  great  prize  by  the   devotees  of 
those  days.     The  view  from  the  top  of  St.  Jeron- 
imus  is  exceedingly  grand.     We   stood  there  as  the 
sun  went   down ;  the  blue  sea  was  far  to  the  east ; 
the  whole  country,  seen  from  the  top,  was  broken 
into  andulating  hills,   rising   into   mountains;   the 
Pyrenees  rose  far  away  on  the  northern  horizon, 
covered  with   snow;    mountains    abounded   every- 
where ;  and  from  these  lofty  pinnacles,  looking  be- 
low, it  appeared  as  if  a  tumultuous   sea  had   been 
suddenly  petrified  in  its   most    angry   commotion; 
the  beautiful  Llobregat  wound  like  a  thread  of  silver 
at  our  feet,  and   a  few  miles  away  in  the  valley, 
just  before  us,  at  the  north,  lay  the  city  of  Manresa; 
and  near  by  it  the  cave  where  Loyola  passed  a 
whole  year  in  penance  before  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  Virgin  at  Monserrat,  and  where,  it  is  said,  he 


MONSERRA  T, 


43 


wrote  his  book — the  rules  of  his  famous  order — 
under  the  very  eyes  of  the  Virgin,  who  looked  from 
her  lofty  and  jagged  throne,  on  Monserrat,  with 
smiles,  down  upon  her  faithful  knight  keeping  vigils 
in  his  lonely  cave. 


I 


BARCELONA  XO  MADRID. 

Our  route  will  now  lead  us  from  Barcelona  nearly 
due  west,  out  of  Catalonia  into  Arragon,  to  the  old 
city  of  Saragossa.  The  whole  journey  is  through  a 
picturesque  country,  clothed  with  vines  and  abound- 
ing in  cork  and  olive  trees.  We  wind  through  beau- 
tiful valleys,  over  high  cliffs,  through  frequent  tun- 
nels, passing  no  considerable  town  until  we  arrive  at 
Lerida,  about  112  miles. 

This  city  has  been  a  post  of  military  importance 
and  the  key  to  Catalonia  since  the  days  of  the 
Romans.  The  armies  of  Caesar  and  Pompey, 
Saracen  and  Christian,  Wellington  and  Napoleon, 
have  in  turn  fought  for  it. 

Here,  if  the  annuls  are  to  be  believed,  died 
Herodias  and  her  daughter  Salome.  While  per- 
forming their  dances  on  the  frozen  river,  the  ice 
broke,  and  both  were  drowned;  but  the  head  of 
Salome  was  cut  off  by  the  sharp  edge  of  the  ice,  and 
from  the  very  force  of  early  habit  the  bodiless  head 
continued  its  dance,  and  so  the  Baptist  was 
avenged. 


SARAGOSSA. 

This  city,  the  capital  of  Arragon,  named  after 
Caesar  Augustus,  is  on  the  Ebro,  and  has  been 
famous  in  all  history  for  its  military  importance.  It 
was  one  of  the  great  centres  of  Roman  civilization, 
and  here  was  born  the  first  Christian  poet,  Aulus 
Prudentius,  about  348,  who  has  been  styled  by  the 
critic  Bentley  the  Horace  and  Virgil  of  the  Chris- 
tians, and  who  celebrated  in  song  the  edict  of  the 
Roman  Senate  which  forbade  the  worship  of  idols 
and  established  the  Christian  religion,  which  de- 
throned Jupiter  and  enthroned  Christ.  The  city  is 
divided  by  the  Ebro  which  is  a  noble  stream, 
spanned  by  a  splendid  stone  bridge,  first  built  by  the 
Romans.  It  boasts  of  two  cathedrals,  neither  of 
which  is  distinguished  for  antiquity  or  architecture. 
The  more  modern  one  is  called  the  Cathedral  el 
Pilar,  because  it  contains  the  identical  pillar  on 
which  the  Virgin  descended  from  heaven.  One  of 
its  chapels  contains  an  image  of  the  Virgin  and 
Child,  in  black  wood,  rude  and  coarse,  but  very 
sacred.  It  is  said  that  fifty  thousand  pilgrims  have 
come  to  this  sacred  shrine  in  one  year.  It  is  a 
Bethesda  for  the  lame,  halt  and  blind,  who  come 


SAMAGOSSA, 


here  to  be  healed  if  the  Virgin  is  propitious.  It  is 
also  a  harvest  field  for  beggars,  and  here  they  con- 
gregate in  great  numbers.  The  city  from  without 
with  its  massive  walls,  pierced  by  eight  gates,  its  tall 
towers,  spires  and  cupolas  give  it  a  grand  appear- 
ance. \^4ithin,  the  streets  are  narrow,  dirty  and  the 
houses  dilapidated.  It  has  one  fine  thoroughfare 
called  the  Coso. 

Its  churches  were  plundered  by  the  French,  and 
its  fine  old  castles  were  riddled  by  shot  and  shell 
during  the  two  famous  sieges  by  the  French  in 
1808,  commanded  by  Marshals  Lannes,  Junot, 
Mortier  and  Moncey,  in  which  were  sacrificed  need- 
lessly 60,000  brave  soldiers.  The  leaning  tower  of 
San  Felipe  is  worthy  of  comparison  with  the 
famous  tower  of  Pisa. 

From  Saragossa  to  Madrid,  by  rail,  is  a  journey  of 
twelve  hours,  made  in  the  night. 


iSiniagmj 


MADRID 

is  a  city  built  on  a  high  plateau,  surrounded  by 
bleak  and  barren  plains,  with  a  treacherous  climate, 
glaring  with  heat  in  summer  and  subject  to  severe, 
chilling  winds  in  winter.  Puerta  del  Sol,  once  the 
eastern  gate,  is  now  the  heart  of  the  city,  from 
whence,  like  arteries,  all  the  large  streets  radiate.  It 
is  a  square  upon  which,  or  near  which,  are  congre- 
gated all  the  fashionable  shops  and  saloons,  and 
through  which  flows  the  life  and  fashion  of  the  city. 
The  Prado,  extending  along  the  eastern  side  of  the 
city,  is  beautifully  laid  out  as  a  park  with  walks  and 
groves,  and  is  the  Central  Park  of  Madrid.  It  is  a 
modern  city  first  brought  to  notice  by  the  Emperor 
Charles  V,  who  regarded  its  climate  a  panacea  for 
his  bodily  ills.  His  son,  Philip  II,  removed  the 
seat  of  government  to  it  in  1560  from  Valladolid. 
There  is  nothing  in  its  position  or  surroundings  to 
recommend  it  as  the  site  of  a  great  city.  It  has  no 
military  importance;  it  guards  no  pass  or  fruitful 
vega,  and  is  surrounded  by  no  agricultural  inter- 
ests. Nothing  but  the  whim  of  Royalty  could  have 
made  it  a  great  capital.  It  imports  everything 
from  a  long  distance,  and   manufactures  nothing. 


48 


MADRID. 


It  has  no  cathedral  or  ancient  buildings  of  note, 
yet  there  are  places  of  interest  which  we  cannot 
omit  to  mention.    The  Royal  Palace  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  Europe.     It  is  situated  on  the  western  side 
of  the  city,  overlooking  the  Valley  of  the  Manzan- 
ares  and  a  wide  sweep  of  country  to  the  west,  reach- 
ing to  the  Guadarrama  mountains,  which,  standing 
in  rugged  and  lonely  grandeur,  covered  with  snows, 
limit  the  view  in  that   direction.    The  palace  was 
intended  to  surround  a  square,  and  to  be  470  feet 
on  each  side  and  100  feet  high.     It  was  laid  out 
on  a  scale  so  grand  that  it  would  have  rivaled  the 
Tuileries,  but  it  has  never  been  finished.     Only  one 
side  of  this  immense  pile   is  completed.     It  is  a 
palace  450  feet  long,  built  of  white  stone  resembling 
marble,  and  stands  nearly  100  feet  high.     The  Span- 
iards are  fond  of  display,  and  the  palace  shows  all 
the  magnificent  variety  of  tapestry,  velvet,  gorgeous 
furniture,  rich  marble  and  mosaics  generally  found 
in  princely  mansions.    The   stables  interested  me 
more  than  the  palace.    There  were  about  150  horses 
for  the  use  of  the  young  king,  embracing  his  house- 
hold coach  horses,  driving-horses  and  saddle-horses. 
Each  had  a  name  over  his  stall.     They  were  reared 
in  Spain,  France  and  England.    The  Spanish  horses, 
especially  the  Andalusian,  did  not  show  the  finest 
points.    They  had  short,  heavy  bodies ;  long  tails, 
held  close  to  the  body ;  tapering  necks ;  fine  thick 


llllllilllllMllljjIfljIlljggllllBPIIjll 


MADRID. 


49 


breasts,  but  short,  hollow  backs.  The  carriages  were 
superb.  I  counted  one  hundred  of  all  sorts  and 
sizes  ranged  in  an  immense  room. 

There  were  some  ten  or  twelve  state  coaches  used 
from  the  time  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  down. 
They  were  covered  with  gold  and  inlaid  with  ivory 
on  the  outside,  and  lined  with  Gobelin  tapestry, 
satin,  gold  and  silver  cloth  within.  One  of  these 
was  the  carriage  of  Crazy  Jane,  daughter  of  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella,  and  mother  of  Charles  V,  who 
is  said  to  have  carried  her  husband's  body  in  its 
coffin  with  her  for  forty  years,  until  her  death. 
The  harness  is  made  in  the  royal  stables,  and  are 
the  most  magnificent  trappings  that  horses  ever 
wore.  There  is  a  guard  of  twenty  horse  and  about 
one  hundred  foot  soldiers  always  on  duty  around  the 
palace,  and  they  are  relieved  every  two  hours.  All 
this,  for  a  country  which  is  hopelessly  in  debt,  ap- 
pears a  most  extravagant  display.  These  append- 
ages of  royalty  are  finer,  perhaps,  than  those  of  any 
crowned  head  in  Europe. 

There  is  a  naval  museum  at  Madrid,  which  has 

two   things  which   interest   an  American.     One  is 

the  exact  model  of  the  vessel  in  which  Columbus 

crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1492,  and  a  chart  of  the 

world,  on  parchment,  said  to  have  been  made  by 

him  on  this  voyage.     This  chart  resembles  very 

much  the  photographic  pictures  of  the  moon,  which 

3 


so 


MADRID. 


we  see  now  a  days.    His  portrait,  and  those  of  Cortez 
and  Pizarro,  may  be  seen  here. 

The  Armeria  Real  is  near  the  palace.     It  is  the 
finest  collection  of  ancient  armor  I  have  ever  seen. 
It  is  arranged  in  a  hall  227  feet  long.     Here  are 
gathered  the  armor  and  the  weapons  worn  by  the 
great  heroes  in  Spain  for  centuries  past.     Along  th© 
centre  of  the  room  are  arranged  equestrian  figures, 
completely  covered  with  the  identical  armor  worn 
by  different  IttlfgHts  and  kings.    Along  the  sides  of 
the  rooms  are  standing  figures,  also  arrayed  in  their 
complete  panoply  of  helmet,  breast-plate  and  coat 
of  mail.     Here  are  the  helmets  worn  by  Hannibal 
and  Julius  Caesar.     There  are  a  number  of  suits 
of  armor  worn    by  Charles  V,   most    exquisitely 
wrought.     One  is  the  very  suit  in  which  he  entered 
Tunis  fit  tfiiiiiii*,  and  is  called   Borgonota.    The 
shields  are  as  elaborately  wrought  as  the  famous 
shield  of  Achilles,  and  seem  to  have  been  patterned 
from  it.     Some  of  the  armor  is  beautifully  chased 
and  wrought   in   black  enamel  and  gold.    All  are 
specimens  of  fine  arts  after  the   style  of  Cellini. 
Here  are  the  swords  of  the  Cid,  of  St.  Ferdinand,  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  of  Pizarro  and  Cortez,  Don 
John  of  Austria,  the  hero  of  Lepanto,  and  of  a  host 
of  others.     Here  is  the  armor  q|  Columbus  as  Ad- 
miral of  Spain.     The  whole  armory  is  full  of  these 
relics  of  great  heroes.    They  are  so  arranged  as  to 


MADRID, 


51 


illustrate  the  improvements  in  weapons  and  defence 
from  the  earliest  to  modern  times. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  objects  in 
Madrid.  There  is  another  place  which  has  a  mourn- 
ful interest  for  Protestants — that  is  the  Plaza  Mayor. 
This  is  the  old  grand  square  of  Madrid,  where  the 
royal  bull-fights  were  celebrated,  and  where  the  In- 
quisition held  the  aiito-da-fd.  The  square  is  400 
feet  on  each  side,  and  in  the  centre  is  a  fine  eques- 
trian statue  of  Philip  III,  by  John  of  Bologna. 
When  the  trials  and  the  executions  of  the  auto-da- 
f^  were  held,  a  great  platform  was  erected  for  the 
judges  of  the  Inquisition  on  one  side  of  the  square. 
The  front  rooms  and  balconies  fronting  on  the 
square  were  reserved  for  the  royal  family,  the  noble- 
men and  the  clergy.  The  seat  of  the  king  was  on 
the  balcony  in  the  centre  of  the  north  side  of  the 
square,  where  are  now  seen  the  royal  arms  on  the 
front  of  the  house.  The  populace  crowded  in  and 
filled  the  square.  Thus,  under  the  countenance  of 
the  king,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  high  dignitaries 
of  the  Church,  arrayed  in  their  priestly  robes,  the 
culprits  were  brought  forth  to  be  tried  by  the  judges 
of  the  Inquisition,  who  were  accusers,  judge  and 
jury.  The  trial  generally  commenced  early  in  the 
morning  and  lasted  the  whole  day,  and  ended  in  the 
lurid  fires  which  consumed  the  wretched  victims 
and  gave  a  grand  finishing  stroke  to  the  spectacle 


52 


MADRID. 


MADRID. 


S3 


which  was  intended  to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts 
of  all  beholders.  This  accursed  institution  did  its 
work  well,  and  accomplished  what  was  intended  by 
it.  Ferdinand  first  established  it  in  Seville  in  1481. 
He  was  a  grasping,  crafty  prince.  His  object  was 
to  extort  money,  terrify  his  opponents,  and  re- 
venge himself  on  his  enemies.  The  Church  used  it 
as  an  engine  to  extirpate  heresy  and  to  perpetuate 
its  power.  Working  in  secret,  its  mysterious 
agents  scattered  everywhere,  invincible  in  power, 
from  whom  no  secrets  were  hid,  omniscient  and 
omnipresent,  it  struck  a  dread  fear  to  the  heart  of 
every  Spaniard,  and  locked  his  soul  in  suspicion 
against  every  man ;  froze  all  the  sweet  and  tender 
sympathies  of  social  life ;  destroyed  confidence  and 
trust  in  his  fellows,  and  shut  the  door  on  hospital- 
ity. Three  centuries  of  this  discipline  has  made  the 
haughty,  reserved,  suspicious  Spaniard  what  he  is 
to-day.  The  sweet  amenities  of  social  life  are  not 
known  among  them.  Every  man  lives  in  and  for 
himself.  Every  man  suspects  his  neighbor.  Re- 
venge is  a  national  trait,  and  the  dagger  of  the 
assassin  has  ever  been  the  familiar  weapon  to  ex- 
ecute his  behest.  In  days  gone  by  no  Spaniard  was 
without  this  weapon  concealed  under  his  cloak,  and 
the  city  of  Madrid  was  nightly  the  scene  of  some 
secret  murder. 
The  effect  sought  by  the  Church  to  be  produced 


it! 


by  the  Inquisition  has  been  accomplished.  Men 
dared  not  think  for  themselves.  The  yoke  of  priest- 
craft was  fastened  on  them  ;  they  became,  body  and 
soul,  the  property  of  the  Church,  and  subject  to  her 
dictation,  till  they  can  no  longer  think  or  reason  for 
themselves.  The  Inquisition,  or  the  Holy  Tribunal, 
as  they  called  themselves,  since  its  organization  in 
Spain  alone,  burned  3,460  persons  alive,  i8,coo  in 
effigy,  imprisoned  288,000  from  148 1  to  1808,  and 
they  confiscated  the  goods  of  all  these  persons  to 
the  use  of  the  king  or  the  Church.  It  expelled  the 
Moors  and  the  Jews,  who  were  their  most  industri- 
ous and  commercial  people ;  it  destroyed  all  enter- 
prise and  progress  in  the  development  of  their 
resources ;  and  thus  Spain  became  a  nation  of  gran- 
dees, priests  and  peasants,  without  education,  with- 
out industry,  and  without  commerce. 

The  crime  has  been  great.  Its  lurid  fires  have 
lighted  up  ages  of  persecution.  But  Nemesis  is  now 
demanding  and  taking  her  satisfaction. 

THE  MUSEO. 

The  most  attractive  object  to  the  stranger  in 
Madrid  is  the  Museo,  or  the  gallery  of  paintings. 
It  is  far  from  being  as  large  as  some  other  galleries 
in  Europe,  and  yet  I  think  there  is  no  other  which, 
in  interest,  excels  it.     It  has  pictures  by  most  of  the 


w 


MADRID. 


MADRID. 


55 


great  masters,  with  this  advantage,  that  nearly 
every  pictui*  is  a  gem;  and  it  has  what  no  other 
gallery  has — the  pictures  of  Velazquez  and  Murillo 
in  all  their  glory.  A  respectable  Velazquez  can  be 
found  nowhere  else ;  neither  can  Murillo,  in  all  his 
richness  and  beauty  as  a  Conception  painter, — as  he 
is  called  in  Spain,  or  as  a  painter  of  saints, — be  seen 
out  of  this  kingdom.  He  is  best  known  in  other 
European  galleries  by  li|9  beggars  and  peasants, 
which  were  not  the  efforts  of  his  more  mature 
genius.  This  gallery  comprises  some  of  the  best 
pictures  of  Raphael,  Guido,  Van  Dyke,  Claude, 
Titian,  Rubens  and  Albert  Durer. 

The  extraordinary  merit  of  this  collection  is  ac- 
i^iiHf^  Im*  from  the  fact  that  Charles  V,  living 
at  the  time  when  painting  was  at  its  zenith,  was  a 
great  patron  of  the  arts,  as  were  also  his  successors, 
and  they  invited  the  great  masters  to  the  Spanish 
court  and  treated  them  with  distinction  and  inti- 
macy. Titian,  Velazquez  and  Rubens  produced 
some  of  their  best  works  at  Madrid  while  they  were 
entertained  at  the  royal  palace.  As  these  royal  per- 
sonages were  lovers  of  art,  and  their  sway  extended 
at  different  times  over  the  German  Empire,  Naples 
and  Netherlands,  they  gathered  from  those  countries 
and  sent  to  Spain  the  best  productions  of  the  most 
distinguished  artists.  Did  this  gallery  possess  noth- 
ing more  than  the  sixty-four  pictures  by  Velazquez, 


IK 


forty  by  Murillo,  ten  by  Raphael,  and  forty-three  by 
Titian,  it  would  be  considered  one  of  the  finest  in 
the  world.  This  is  the  centre  of  attraction  in  Ma- 
drid, and  the  traveler  will  not  be  satisfied  to  finish 
a  day  of  sight-seeing  without  a  daily  visit  to  the 
Museo,  and  for  the  same  reason  that  in  Rome  one 
finds  himself  almost  daily  wandering  into  St.  Peter^s, 
or  in  Paris  into  the  Louvre.  When  all  things  else 
fail,  these  are  ever  fresh  and  full  of  new  beauties 
never  seen  before. 

This  gallery  was  opened  in  1819  with  only  about 
300  pictures,  which  were  gathered  from  the  different 
palaces  belonging  to  the  crown.     Additions  have 
been  made  from  time  to  time  from  the  crown  collec- 
tions, until  now  there  are  about  3,000  pictures  in  the 
collection.     We  cannot  pretend  to  the  high  honor 
of  being  an  art  critic,  but  no  one  can  visit  the  great 
galleries  of  Europe  and  linger  over  these  inspirations 
of  beauty  and  loveliness  by  Raphael,  Murillo  and 
Correggio,  without  some  discipline  of  the  eye  and 
taste  which  will  enable  him  to  tell  what  he  likes  and 
why  he  likes ;  and  no  man  need  be  ashamed  that  his 
taste,  his  appreciation  for  the  beautiful,  differs  from 
another.     We  are  all  made  to  differ  in  such  matters. 
We  may,  therefore,  be  pardoned  for  a  few  thoughts 
on  this  gallery,  which  is  so  unique  and  little  known. 
The  most  striking  pictures  here,  although  I  think 
not  the  most  pleasing,  are  those  by  Velazquez. 


56 


MADRID. 


MADRID. 


57 


Spain  was  his  home;  here  he  was  appreciated  and 
rewarded  by  royal  honors.  There  is  great  originality 
in  his  pictures,  and  perfect  naturalness.  He  has  no 
ideality,  no  high  sense  of  the  beautiful.  He  always 
fails  in  his  virgins  and  saints  and  sacred  subjects  from 
want  of  ideality — this  quality  of  uniting  in  one  face 
all  that  is  heavenly,  and  excluding  all  that  is  earthly, 
as  Raphael  could  do.  His  women  are  women  and 
his  men  are  men,  just  as  you  see  them,  with  all  that 
is  human  and  earthly  about  them.  He  was  a  paint- 
er of  men  par  excellence ;  men  of  all  classes,  kings, 
dwarfs,  peasants,  soldiers.  His  strong,  manly  nature 
comprehended  what  he  saw  and  fixed  it  on  the  can- 
vas ;  but  women,  gods,  goddesses,  virgins,  saints,  any 
subject  which  required  a  combination  of  ideal  quali- 
ties, was  beyond  him.  He  paints  Vulcan  as  a  grimy, 
ordinary  blacksmith ;  the  Virgin  Mary  as  a  sedate 
matron ;  the  divine  Father  as  a  bald-headed  old  gen- 
tleman. His  portraits,  especially  the  equestrian,  are 
exceedingly  fine.  His  horses  seem  to  move  toward 
you  out  of  the  canvas.  His  pictures  of  common  life 
— dwarfs,  peasants  and  revellers — are  fllitnitable  from 
the  perfect  naturalness.  He  introduces  dogs  and 
horses  which  are  as  fine  as  Landseer's. 

His  landscapes  are  wonderful  from  their  depth, 
their  coolness,  produced  by  a  light  gray  or  bluish 
color.  The  details  are  few,  but  these  are  such  as 
you  can  feel  in   all  their  natural  freshness.     You 


1 1  '> 

1,1 


m 


almost  see  the  cool  air ;  you  certainly  feel  it.  You  are 
as  conscious  of  the  long,  deep,  shady  vistas,  as  if  you 
were  walking  under  the  trees  amid  the  fountains, 
and  along  the  purling  streams.  One  or  two  pictures 
we  cannot  forbear  naming.  One,  called  ^Esop,  repre- 
sents the  philosopher  in  the  coarse  attire  of  a  peas- 
ant. But  a  few  touches  in  the  dark,  tawny  color, 
shaded  only  by  slight  traces  of  white,  reveal  the 
coarse,  keen,  defiant  wit  which  would  have  done 
honor  to  a  Diogenes.  One  is  astonished  to  see  how 
so  little  coarse  paint  can  say  so  much.  As  a  rule,  all 
his  pictures  which  attempt  the  higher  or  the  tender 
sentiments  are  failures ;  but  there  is  one  exception 
which  we  must  name.  It  is  the  Crucifixion.  It  is  a 
single  figure  on  a  plain  cross ;  darkness  gathers  over 
the  earth ;  the  cold  body,  of  light  gray  color,  has  the 
first  pallor  of  death  stealing  over  the  freshness  of 
life ;  it  stands  out  from  the  cross ;  thorns  crown  the 
head ;  the  long  hair  hangs  down  on  one  side  of  the 
face,  covering  the  ear ;  the  head  is  drooping,  and  the 
blood  is  trickling  down  from  under  the  thorns,  over 
the  forehead,  down  the  body,  and  bathing  his  very 
feet  and  the  cross ;  the  face  is  of  a  calm  and  heavenly 
sweetness;  no  pain,  no  grief,  but  you  can  almost 
hear  the  dying  lips  breathing  "  It  is  finished."  It  is 
a  single  figure  on  a  plain  cross,  yet  it  speaks  the 
depth  of  the  sentiment  of  that  awful  tragedy. 

Few  artists  can  treat  this  subject  without  offence 
3* 


to  some  sentiment  of  our  nature.  The  truth,  nature 
and  manliness  of  Velazquez  are  all  his  own.  Titian 
had  preceded  him  at  the  Spanish  court,  and  all  his 
great  pictures,  with  all  their  fine  sentiment  and  gor- 
geous coloring,  were  before  him.  Yet  Velazquez  is 
as  unlike  Titian  as  an  artist  well  could  be.  Without 
ideality,  without  the  power  of  delineating  the  tender 
and  the  sentimental,  he  had  the  rare  power  of  repro- 
ducing nature  as  he  found  it.  He  lived  in  the  time 
of  Philip  III,  and  Philip  IV,  and  died  1660. 

MURILLO, 

the  pupil  of  Velazquez,  was  born  at  Seville,  1618, 
and  was  only  ninetiWl  years  younger  than  his  mas- 
ter. He  lived,  painted  and  died  at  Seville,  although 
a  few  of  his  good  pictures  have  crossed  the  Pyrenees, 
yet  he  is  only  to  be  seen  in  all  his  grandeur  in  his 
own  native  land.  There  is  only  one  fine  Conception 
of  his  out  of  Spain,  and  this  was  stolen  by  Marshal 
Soult,  carried  to  Paris  and  sold  to  the  Louvre  for 
$200,000,  where  it  now  hangs  as  one  of  the  gems  of 
that  renowned  gallery  ;  but  in  Spain  there  are  numer- 
ous conceptions  by  Murillo,  all  of  which  much  re- 
semble one  another.  Velazquez  painted  for  kings, 
and  had  the  selection  of  his  subjects  and  the  free- 
dom of  his  own  treatment.  Murillo  painted  for  the 
Church,  and  was  controlled  in  his  subjects  and  modes 
of  treatment,  and  confined  to  sacred  scenes,  such  as 


MADRID, 


S9 


X 


I 


• 


Conceptions,  the  Holy  Family,  and  Adoration   of 
Saints.    Like  Raphael,  he  reproduces  his  principal 
subjects  in  all  his  pictures.    With  differences  of  color, 
grouping  and  other  details  his  faces  of  the  Virgin,  of 
St.  Francis,  and  St.  Augustine,  are  always  the  same. 
It  is  often  said  that  Murillo's  Virgins  are  only  good- 
looking  Spanish  peasants.   They  do  lack  the  heavenly 
purity  and  the  celestial  grace  and  benignity  of  Raph- 
aeFs  Virgins,  but  they  combine  wonderful  sweetness 
and  tenderness.      They  are  women,  but  they  are 
beatified  women,  with  a  celestial  light  shining  in  their 
faces.     No  man,  in  our  opinion,  has  ever  painted  a 
saint  equal  to  Murillo.     In  one  of  his  pictures  the 
youthful  Jesus  is  standing  on  an  open  Bible  placed 
on  a  table ;  St.  Francis  is  looking  up  into  his  face 
and  extending  one  arm  to  clasp  him.     The  combina- 
tion of  humility,  love  and  adoring  faith  in  the  long- 
ing, yearning,  earnest  look  of  the  saint,  is  something 
heavenly.     There  is  a  wealth  of  grace,  beauty  and 
coloring  in  his  Conceptions,  with  the  Virgin  standing 
in  the  new  moon,  gorgeous  in  her  blue  robes,  sur- 
rounded by  clouds  of  golden  splendor,  attended  by 
myriads  of  beautiful,  joyous  cherub  faces. 

It  is  impossible  to  particularize  the  pictures  of 
Murillo  in  this  gallery.  They  are  all  charming. 
There  are  three  different  styles  to  be  traced  in 
Murillo's  pictures.  The  Spaniards  call  them— first, 
the  frio,  his  eariier  style,  which  is  of  dark  color- 


6o 


MADRID. 


ing,  clear  outline  and  good  drawing ;  of  this  style  are 
his  Beggar-boys,  at  Munich.  Second,  the  calido,  or 
warm,  where  his  coloring  is  lighter  and  more  sunny, 
and  the  outline  less  dcSned.  Third,  the  vaporoso,  or 
misty,  where  he  so  mingles  his  colors  as  to  throw  a 
golden  vapor  over  all  his  figures  through  which  the 
outline  is  dimly  seen.  He  was  a  master  of  colors, 
and,  however  extravagant  they  may  appear  in  detail, 
their  combination  is  charming. 

All  the  originals  of  Raphael  in  the  Museo  are 
master-pieces.  Here  is  his  celebrated  Holy  Family, 
called  the  Pearl.  It  once  belonged  to  Charles  I,  of 
England,  was  sold  bf  Cromwell,  bought  by  tj>e 
Minister  of  Philip  IV,  for  $io,ocx),  which  then  was 
an  enormous  pifcfe  A  large  number  of  other  pict- 
ures were  bought  with  it  and  sent  to  Spain.  When 
Philip  saw  this  picture  he  exclaimed,  "  This  is  the 
pearl  of  my  pictures ; "  and  ever  since  it  has  been 
called  by  Spaniards,  The  Per  la.  This  picture  is  dif- 
ferent from  most  of  Raphael's.  It  has  not  the 
golden  sunset  coloring  usual  with  him.  It  is  darker, 
with  a  crimson  tinge  of  flesh  color.  But  the  light 
and  smile  on  the  face  of  the  infant  Jesus  looking 
up  to  tha^  of  his  mother,  fejilmost  an  inspiration. 

TITIAN. 

Of  all  the  galleries  in  Europe  none  can  boast  of 
a  finer  collection  of  Titians.     He  was  the  friend  of 


MADRID, 


6i 


Charles  V,  and  Philip  II,  and  painted  for  them  here 
for  three  years.  After  his  death  Velazquez  was 
deputed  to  purchase  from  Venice  some  master- 
pieces of  this  great  artist.  In  the  Museo  are  forty- 
three  magnificent  pictures  by  him,  some  very  large. 
Here  is  the  noted  picture  called  the  Gloria,  by  some 
considered  his  master-piece.  It  is  a  sort  of  an 
apotheosis  of  Charles  V,  in  which  the  Trinity,  the 
Virgin,  Moses  and  Elijah,  Charles  V,  and  his  son, 
Philip  II,  and  numerous  saints  appear.  This  pict- 
ure, the  Emperor  directed  in  his  will,  should  be 
hung  before  his  tomb ;  and  so  it  was  until  he  was 
removed  to  the  Pantheon  in  the  Escorial. 

Time  will  fail  to  tell  of  all  the  other  great  worthies 
whose  works  are  gathered  here.  There  are  sixty- 
two  pictures  by  Rubens,  with  all  the  usual  virtues 
and  faults  of  this  prolific  artist.  Here,  as  every- 
where, he  revels  in  stout  women  of  roseate  hue. 

We  cannot  mention  the  other  great  foreign  artists. 
Their  fame  belongs  to  other  countries ;  but  we  should 
not  omit  a  few  more  who  have  been  an  honor  to 
Spain.  Joanes  is  a  painter  of  sacred  subjects.  One 
of  his  best  pictures  here  is  a  Descent  from  the  Cross, 
which  is  very  fine.  Alonzo  Cano  is  a  painter  of 
great  merit.  His  time  was  mostly  devoted  to  sculpt- 
ure. His  Crucifixions  in  wood  are  found  in  many 
cathedrals  in  Spain,  and  they  are  always  exceedingly 
pathetic.     His  wood-carvings  of  saints  are  among 


62 


MADRIi>. 


MADRID. 


63 


the  finest  specimens  of  this  art.  There  is  at  the 
Museo  a  fine  painting  of  St.  John  at  Patmos  and  a 
Dead  Christ,  which  is  a  favorite  subject  with  him. 

Zurbaran  was  a  Spaniard,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  unequaled  as  a  painter  of  monks  and  friars. 
Ribera,  or  Spagnoletto,  was  a  distinguished  Spanish 
artist.  His  best  pictures  are  here.  He  was  contem- 
porary with  Velazquez  and  Murillo.  He  delineated 
suffering,  fortitude  and  martyrdom  with  wonderful 
vividness  and  power.  No  sentiment  of  tenderness 
or  pathos  ever  entered  his  heart.  You  can  see  the 
Iliart3nr  in  his  agony,  despising  suffering  and  nerving 
his  quivering  frame  up  to  a  lofty  endurance. 

KING  ALFONSO. 

Before  leaving  Madrid  we  should  like  to  speak 
of  a  few  men  of  note  there.  The  king,  Alfonso 
XII,  il  a  young  man,  now  (1883)  only  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.  He  has  a  slim,  delicate  frame, 
pale  face,  and  is  as  unlike  his  mother,  the  ex- 
Queen  Isabella,  as  possible.  She  is  a  very  large, 
red-faced,  and  rather  coarse-looking  woman.  He 
was  for  a  short  time  educated  at  the  military 
school  in  England,  but  has  received  most  of  his 
training  at  Vienna.  He  still  employs  tutors,  and 
studies  three  hours  a  day.  He  is  said  to  have 
some  capacity  for  business,  and  to  fulfill  his  kingly 


duties  much  better  than  King  Amadeus  did.  His 
parentage  on  his  father's  side  is  considered  doubtful, 
but  Queen  Isabella  insists  that  this  is  of  no  import- 
ance— she  is  his  mother.  The  young  king,  however, 
has  a  glorious  future  before  him,  if  he  is  equal  to  it. 
If  he  proves  himself  the  man  to  rule  in  these  times ; 
able  to  grapple  with  the  difficulties  around  him ;  if 
he  can  see  the  wants  of  Spain,  and  will  apply  himself 
with  all  the  prestige  of  his  royal  name  and  kingly 
office  to  redress  them  ;  will  labor  to  elevate  and  edu- 
cate Spain ;  will  spurn  the  priestly  yoke  and  break  it 
from  the  neck  of  his  people,  he  will  become  one  of 
the  illustrious  monarchs  of  the  age.  The  people  are 
ready  to  hail  such  a  king,  to  obey  him,  to  adore 
him,  if  they  can  have  peace  and  a  fixed  government. 
The  difficulties  which  he  or  any  government  have 
to  contend  with  are  great.  There  are  five  which  we 
can  mention,  which  press  upon  Spain  like  an  in- 
cubus : 

1st.  The  question  of  dynasty.  Is  Alfonso  the 
lawful  king,  or  Don  Carlos  ? 

2d.  The  religious  question.  Shall  there  be  a 
State  religion?  Shall  there  be  liberty  of  worship, 
education,  and  of  the  press,  and  shall  there  be  no 
connection  between  Church  and  State  ? 

3d.  Shall  there  be  a  monarchy  or  a  republic  ? 

4th.  The  financial  question.  Spain  is  hopelessly 
in  debt.     She  cannot  pay  her  interest.     She  is,  and 


64 


MADRID, 


has  been,  borrowing  money  for  years  at  a  usurious 
rate  to  keep  the  government  going,  and  it  is  said 
that  it  is  a  great  part  of  the  business  at  Madrid  to 
speculate  in  the  obligations  of  the  government. 
Her  people  are  taxed  to  the  utmost,  and  still  there 
is  no  possibility  of  payttig  their  interest.  They  are 
hopelessly  insolvent.  They  owe  one  billion  and  five 
hundred  millions  of  dollars. 

5th.  Civil  war  may  break  out  at  any  moment 
between  the  Government  and  the  Carlists. 

Most  nations  have  only  one  of  these  great  ques- 
tions to  meet ;  but  Spain  has  them  all  pressing  her 
at  once,  and  how  she  is  to  come  out  of  them  no 
one  can  foresee.  Such  men  as  Gomez,  Castelar  and 
Martinez  sire  leaders  on  some  of  these  questions, 
and  they  will  not  be  put  down.  The  government 
may  be  reactionary  for  the  present  on  the  subject 
of  religious  liberty  and  slavery,  but  they  can  have  no 
peace  while  these  great  leaders  of  public  opinion  live. 

The  civil  list  of  the  king  is  fixed  at  $600,000.  It 
seems  impossible  to  support  the  royal  court,  in  the 
style  in  which  he  lives,  on  that  sum.  The  king  pays 
court  to  the  soldiers,  parades  with  them,  mixes  with 
the  people,  and  is  affable  to  strangers. 

Don  Antonio  Canovas  del  Castillo,  the  recent 
President  of  the  Council  of  Ministers,  is  a  lawyer, 
and  has  worked  his  way  up  from  the  common  peo- 
ple.   There  was  only  one  Minister  in  the  Cabinet 


MADRID. 


65 


■I 


during  his  Presidency  from  the  nobility.  Canovas 
is  an  excellent  debater,  and  the  defence  of  govern- 
ment measures  in  the  Congress  of  Deputies  rested 
upon  him.  He  is  a  short  man,  rather  stout,  with  a 
slight  cast  in  his  eye ;  a  very  ready  speaker,  and  is 
regarded  as  a  man  of  high  character,  as  that  term  is 
understood  in  Madrid.  The  President  of  the  Council 
has  a  salary  of  six  thousand  dollars  and  the  use  of 
the  elegant  mansion  of  the  President. 

He  gives  a  reception  every  Friday  evening.  No 
invitations  are  given,  but  the  foreign  Ministers,  the 
members  of  the  government  and  Deputies  of  his  own 
party  are  expected  to  attend.  Through  the  kind- 
ness of  the  American  Minister,  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
attending  one  of  these  receptions.  The  house  was 
immense.  We  entered  from  a  porte-cochere,  up  a 
wide  staircase,  with  beautiful  shrubs  and  flowers  on 
each  side ;  and  were  received  by  four  servants  in  liv- 
ery in  the  ante-room,  where  our  coats  were  ticketed 
and  our  hats  given  to  us  to  carry  in  our  hands. 

The  rooms  opened  were  a  suite  of  three,  of  im- 
mense size,  on  three  sides  of  an  open  court,  in  the 
centre  of  the  house.  The  rooms  were  furnished 
with  gilt  furniture,  covered  with  red  satin,  which  was 
ranged  around  the  sides  of  the  room.  The  carpets 
were  elegant,  and  the  rooms  brilliantly  lighted  with 
chandeliers  of  crystal  pendants.  All  the  Ministers 
of  the  government  were  present  and  all  the  foreign 


66 


MADRID. 


MADRID, 


67 


Ministers.  There  was  most  hearty  accord  between 
our  government  and  Spain,  as  was  evident  from  the 
warm  reception  given  to  our  Minister.  When  the 
President  saw  Mr.  Gushing,  the  American  Minister, 
he  immediately  came  up  to  him  and  embraced  him 
cordially  and  with  great  sincerity.  The  govern- 
ment had  great  confidence  in  Mr.  Gushing,  in  his 
learning,  wisdom  and  fairness.  Probably  no  foreign 
Minister  at  the  court  had  the  influence  which  he 
had.  This  influence  was  not  confined  to  the  govern- 
ment,  but  he  was  held  in  the  highest  estimation  by 
the  other  Ministers.  They  consulted  him  upon  diffi- 
cult questions  of  international  law.  He  was  an  ency- 
clopedia of  knowledge,  of  prodigious  memory,  spoke 
nearly  every  modern  language,  and  knew  the  history 
of  Spain  better  than  the  Spaniards  themselves.  I 
was  proud  to  see  the  pre-eminent  position  which 
he  held  among  the  foreign  Ministers.  As  the  Span- 
iards never  spend  money  on  entertainments  or  give 
State  dinners,  no  refreshments  were  given  except 
tea,  coffee,  cakes,  wine  and  a  few  sweet  drinks, 
flavored  with  orange,  almonds  and  other  fruits.  It 
was  a  company  of  well-bred  gentlemen,  gathered 
from  every  dvilwed  naliQii  on  the  globe. 

HOUSE  OF  DEPUTIES. 

Before   leaving  Madrid  we  must  look  into  the 
Congress,  where  the  House  of  Deputies  meet.     It  is 


a  large,  well-furnished  room,  with  seats  in  circular 
form,  facing  the  President's  chair,  and  rising  one 
above  the  other  as  they  recede.  The  members 
seemed  in  the  prime  of  life,  a  practical,  gentlemanly, 
well-dressed  body  of  men.  They  spoke  with  some 
animation,  but  happened  to  be  very  prosy.  On  each 
side  of  the  Speaker  stood  a  sort  of  sergeant-at-arms, 
holding  an  immense  mace  and  dressed  most  elab- 
orately in  uniform  covered  with  gold  lace. 

Mr.  Ganovas  sits  near  the  Speaker's  chair,  in  a 
side  seat,  so  that  he  can  see  any  member  who  is 
speaking.      The   House  is  divided  into  about  five 
parties,  some  leaders  having  no  more  than  one  fol- 
lower beside  themselves,  and  some  having  only  one 
with  themselves.     The  most  conspicuous  man,  after 
Mr.  Ganovas,  is  Mr.  Gastelar.     I  had  imagined  him 
a  tall,  thin,  pale,  student-like  looking  man,  of  negli- 
gent dress  and  manners.     I  had  the  pleasure  of  call- 
ing on  him  at  his  house  and  of  seeing  him  in  the 
Gongress.      He  is  a  short,  thick-set,  florid  man ;  a 
very  genial  face,  but  not  strong;  no  marked  char- 
acteristics about  him ;  a  man  no  one  would  remark 
in  the   streets.     As   I   saw   him   he  was  carefully 
dressed,  ready  to  speak  that  evening.     He  speaks 
with  ease,  but  after  most  careful  preparation ;  all  his 
fine  figures  are  elaborately  wrought  out  and  then  as 
if  delivered  on  the  inspiration  of  the  moment.     He 
prepares  himself  carefully,  much  as  Mr.  Everett  did. 


68 


MADRID, 


MADRID, 


69 


When  he  ^eaks  tl|e  House  is  filled,  and  for  hours 
you  will  see  the  common  people  gathering  around 
the  door  for  admis$liH. 

He  has  always  a  most  beautiful  ornate  essay  or 
some  grand  original  theory  drawn  from  books  or 
study,  but  which  has  never  been  tried.  His  impulses 
are  always  generous,  noble  and  winning ;  he  has  a 
wealth  of  illustration  drawn  from  history.  He 
speaks  rapidly  and  firmly,  and  always  carries  with 
him  tbe  whole  House,  friend  and  foe,  and  frequently 
the  whole  body,  without  an  exception,  will  rise  and 
cheer  Kin  with  great  excitement. 

When  the  effort  is  over,  the  practical  debater,  Mr. 
Canovas,  begins  to  pick  flaws  in  the  delicately  spun 
theory!  |o  pull  out  thread  by  thread ;  to  knock 
away  this  leg  and  then  another,  and  to  ask  hard 
questions.  Then  Mr.  Castelar  is  at  fault.  He  is 
an  orator,  but  no  debater.  He  has  no  repartee,  no 
ability  to  tiirn  the  thnidt.  He  gets  confused,  and 
perhaps  confounded,  and  when  the  vote  comes,  the 
eloquent  speech,  which  read  so  well,  which  the 
House  applauded,  has  fallen  flat,  without  a  sup- 
porter. The  practical  man  has  destroyed  the  the- 
orist. 

Mr.  Castelar  is  a  native  of  Malaga.  After  a 
university  educatipn  he  devoted  himself  to  a  pro- 
fessorship of  history  in  Madrid,  with  very  small 
emoluments,  but  he  wrote  for  reviews  and  essays 


V\ 


. 


on  historical  subjects  connected  with  his  studies. 
He   is  a  sincere   Republican,  and   his  theory  has 
always  been,— and  he  has  written  much  upon  it,— 
that  Spain  should  be  a  federal  republic,  after  the 
model  of   the   United   States   Government,  which 
would  allow  each  province  to  administer  their  own 
peculiar  fueros,  or  ancient  laws,  and  would  harmo- 
nize the  different  sections  of  the  country.     He  had 
other  beautiful  theories.     But  when  he  came  to  rule 
as  President  of  the  Republic,  no  one  of  his  theories 
would  work.      Notwithstanding  this,  he  is  a  man 
capable  of  magnetizing  the  people.     His  theories  are 
in  sympathy  with  liberty  and  with  their  rights.     He 
will  always  be  the  leader  of  reform  outside  of  the 
Cortes,  and  great  principles  in  the  mouth  of  such  a 
man  will  make  their  way  among  the  people.     He  is 
a  sincere  Catholic  of  the  ancient  type,  seeking  to 
purify  the  Church.     He  is  a  bachelor,  and  lives  in  a 
pleasant  part  of  the  city,  in  a  most  unpretending 
way,  on  the  third  story  of  a  flat,  with  his  sister.    As 
the  Deputies  receive  no  pay,  he  is  dependent  on  his 
writings  for  his  subsistence.     But  having  been  Pre- 
mier, although  only  for  a  few  months,  he  is  entitled 
to  an  annuity  of  $2,500. 

ROMANISM    AND  PROTESTANTISM. 

Of  all  countries  in  the  world,  Spain  is  the  most 
profoundly  Catholic.     For  centuries  the  King  or 


70 


MADRID. 


Queen  has  received  from  the  Pope,  the  title  of  his 
or  her  Catholic  Majesty.    As  the  Catholic  religion 
has  here  had  the  fullest  sway  and  has  here  had  time 
to  work  out  its   legitimate  influence,  it  would  be 
worth  the  trouble  of  the  historian  and  the  moralist 
to  trace  its  effect  on  this  nation.    Let  us  state  the 
facts  fairly,  and  leave  the  reader  to  judge  whether 
the  national  religion  has  elevated  or  debased  the 
morals  of  the  people — has  been  a  friend  or  an  enemy 
to  all  true  progress.    Trace  its  influence  in  social 
life  on  one  class  only,  and  that  in  which,  if  in  any,  it 
ought  to  show  its  purifying  and  ennobling  power — 
I  mean  the  clergy.     No   religion   can   elevate  any 
people  above  the  lives  and  morals  of  its  ministers. 
Spain  has  fit)m  time  immemorial  been  cursed  with  a 
priesthood  noted  for  their  profligacy  and  sensuahty. 
In  the  time  of  Queen  Isabella,  all  orders  of  ecclesi- 
astics are  represented  as  "  wallowing  in  all  the  ex- 
cesses of  sloth  and  sensuality ;  "  and  so  abhorrent  was 
the  evil  to  the  pure  mind  of  the  Queen  that  she  put 
forth  all  the  powers  of  her  prerogative  and  invoked 
the  aid  of  her  great  Cardinal  Ximenes,  and  of  the 
Pope  also,  to  abate  it.     Even  the  law  was  obliged  to 
countenance   concubinage   in   the   clergy,   and   the 
ancient  fueros  of  Castile  permitted  their  issue  to 
inherit  the  estates  of  such  parents  as  died  intestate. 
The  effrontery  of  these  legalized  concubines  of  the 
clergy  at  length  became  so  intolembk  that  laws 


MADRID, 


71 


■ 


were  repeatedly  passed  regulating  their  apparel  and 
prescribing  a  badge  to  distinguish  them  from  virtu- 
ous women. 

Although  more  respect  is  outwardly  paid  to  good 
morals  at  this  day  by  the  ecclesiastics,  yet  it  is  noto- 
rious that  in  Spain  purity  of  life  is  not  expected  in 
the  clergy.  As  one  gentleman  in  Spain  expressed 
it  to  me,  every  priest  is  supposed  to  have  his  house- 
keeper, and  her  position  in  the  establishment  is  well 
understood.  It  is,  however,  just  to  say  that  the 
lives  of  the  higher  dignitaries  of  the  Church  are 
more  exemplary  than  those  of  the  inferior  clergy. 
If  such  is  the  character  of  the  priests,  it  is  easy  to 
see  how  demoralizing  to  a  people  is  the  religion 
which  can  palliate  or  endure  them. 

I  have  been  asked,  "  What  chance  for  Protestant- 
ism is  there  in  Spain  ? "  A  few  facts  and  figures 
will  help  to  answer  this  question.  Out  of  16,500,- 
000  inhabitants  in  Spain  all  but  60,000  are  Catholics 
by  profession.  Of  these  60,000,  very  few  can  prop- 
erly be  called  Protestants.  All  the  power,  all  the 
nobility,  all  the  education,  all  the  money,  are  en- 
listed on  the  side  of  the  Church.  The  women  are 
all  devotees  under  the  influence  of  priests.  They, 
only,  attend  the  services.  The  men  were  educated 
Catholics  and  must  have  a  religion  to  die  by,  as 
they  desire  to  be  buried  in  the  odor  of  sanctity. 
Therefore  they  are  Catholics.    The  serious,  educated 


fe. 


72 


MADRID. 


and  thinking  men  who  believe  in  religion  are  Catho- 
lics of  the  Bollinger  school,  and  believe  in  reforming 
their  own  Church,  but  never  intend  leaving  it.  Such 
is  Castelar,  who  is  a  sincere  Catholic,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  repudiates  many  of  the  assumptions 
and  practices  of  the  modern  Catholic  Church* 

Spain  has  been,  and  probably  is  now,  the  most 
priest-ridden  of  all  the  European  kingdoms;  yet 
a  slight  comparison  of  figures  will  show  that  even 
Spain  is  making  rapid  stpdes  in  ridding  herself  of 
the  priestly  yoke.  In  1833  there  were  connected 
with  the  Church,  including  monks  and  nuns,  175,000 
persons,  or  one  to  about  ninety-five  inhabitants. 
Of  these,  about  90,000  were  prelates  and  priests  con- 
nected with  the  cathedrals  and  parishes.  In  1836 
all  conventual  establishments  were  suppressed  and 
their  property  confiscated.  This  gave  rise  to  long 
disputes  with  the  Pope,  which  were  at  last  settled 
by  a  concordat  in  1859  by  which  the  government 
was  authorized  to  sell  all  ecclesiastical  property  ex- 
cept churches  and  parsonages,  and  to  give  in  return 
an  equal  amount  of  government  certificates,  untrans- 
ferable, bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  three  per  cent. 
Inasmuch  as  Spanish  stocks  are  at  a  low  ebb  and  the 
Government  are  unable  to  pay  their  interest,  it  is  to 
be  presumed  that  the  Church  will  not  be  the  gainer 
by  this  concordat.  But  now  for  the  effect.  At  the 
presefl  lUie  tfegre  itfe  connected  with  the  Church, 


MADRID, 


73 


as  prelates  and  priests,  less  than  40,000  persons. 
This  leaves  but  one  priest  to  about  400  inhabitants, 
including  men,  women  and  children.  There  are 
forty-three  bishops  and  nine  archbishops,  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Toledo  being  the  Primate  of  all  Spain. 
By  the  Constitution  of  1875  the  Catholic  religion 
is  declared  to  be  the  religion  of  the  State.  As 
Protestants  in  all  countries  are  largely  interested 
in  the  religious  liberty  question  in  Spain,  we  copy 
in  full  the  article  of  the  Constitution  on  which  they 
all  rely  for  liberty  of  opinion,  worship  and  teaching: 

Article  III. — The  Catholic  Apostolic  Roman  re- 
ligion is  that  of  the  State.  The  nation  obliges  itself 
to  maintain  the  worship  and  its  ministers.  No  per- 
son shall  be  molested  in  the  territory  of  Spain  for 
his  religious  opinions^  nor  for  the  exercise  of  his  par- 
ticular worships  saving  the  respect  due  to  Christian 
morality.  Nevertheless,  no  other  ceremonies  nor 
manifestations  in  public  will  be  permitted  than  those 
of  the  religion  of  the  State. 

Such  is  the  Constitution  which  is  to  govern  the 
administrators  of  the  law.  But  the  law  is  to  be  con- 
strued, and  it  is  possible  to  give  such  construction 
to  the  words  "  particular  worship  "  and  "  no  other 
ceremonies  nor  manifestations  in  public,"  as  will  pre- 
clude any  worship  by  Protestants  except  in  private 
houses.     The  High  Church  party  in  Spain  hold  that 

under  this  article  of  the  Constitution  no  house  for 
4 


J 


74 


BULL-FIGHTS. 


public  worship  can  be  opened,  no  books  hawked 
about  the  streets,  no  signs  put  on  churches  or  book- 
stores, and  no  schools  allowed.  This  is  extreme 
and  partisan  construction.  At  the  request  of  the 
English  government,  the  distinguished  lawyer  and 
statesman  who  drafted  this  article  in  the  Consti- 
tution, Martinez,  has  given  a  long  and  learned 
opinion  upon  it,  which  I  was  permitted  to  read  in 
manuscript.  He  holds  that  l»  iitferference  can  be 
made  with  worship  within  any  house  or  within  a 
cemetery,  bill  that  ths  sile  of  books,  Bibles  and 
tracts,  posting  notices  of  public  worship,  signs  on 
churches  or  depositaries  for  the  sale  of  books,  can 
be  regulated  by  law,  and,  until  such  laws  are  passed, 
the  government  is  to  construe  the  Constitution  and 
carry  it  into  effect. 

CHRISTIAN  AMUSEMENTS. 

Madrid  is  for  the  most  part  built  like  Paris. 
Families  liire  ffi  flats,  with  little  appearance  of  com- 
fort by  way  of  furniture  or  convenience.  They  are 
very  economical,  and  never  entertain  by  giving 
dinners.  At  evening  parties  no  refreshments  are 
given  excepting  tea  and  coffee,  and  certain  sweet- 
ened drinks.  The  streets  of  the  city  are  generally 
regular  and  well  built.  They  radiate  from  the  cen- 
tral square,  Puerto  del  Sol,  or  the  Gate  of  the  Sun, 
because  it  was  formerly  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city. 


BULL-FIGHTS. 


75 


It  is  now  the  centre  around  which  are  built  the 
hotels  and  the  large  caf^s.  On  the  eastern  side  of 
the  city  is  the  Prado  or  meadow,  which  is  the  great 
boulevard  of  Madrid,  where  all  the  fashion  and 
wealth  displays  itself  in  the  summer  evenings.  It  is 
composed  of  wide  avenues  for  driving,  and  sidewalks 
for  lounging  and  sitting,  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
in  length,  and  planted  with  trees.  The  trees  are 
connected  by  trenches,  and  a  small  depression  is 
made  around  each  for  the  purpose  of  artificial  irriga- 
tion. The  climate  is  so  dry  that  no  trees  will  grow 
without  being  watered.  To  the  east  connected  with 
the  Prado,  is  a  park  for  driving  and  walking,  called 
Bueno  Retiro.  It  is  filled  with  trees  and  shrubbery, 
with  preparations  for  artificial  irrigation.  But  there 
is  no  lawn  or  grass  to  be  seen.  I  have  never  seen 
a  field  of  grass  in  Spain.  The  hot,  dry  summer  de- 
stroys it.  There  is  no  hay  for  horses  and  cattle. 
They  are  fed  on  straw  and  grain.  To  the  east  of 
this  park  lies  the  bull-ring.  Every  city  in  Spain 
has  its  bull-ring.  The  fights  are  generally  held  from 
April  till  October,  and  on  Sunday  after  Church. 
The  Church  is  obliged  to  give  its  countenance  to 
the  bloody  sport  by  sending  a  priest  with  the  con- 
secrated host  to  remain  in  attendance  in  order  to 
administer  the  sacrament  in  case  one  of  the  fighters 
is  fatally  injured.  A  doctor  is  also  always  present. 
The  bull-ring  of  Madrid  is  a  new  circular  amphi- 


76 


BULL-FIGHTS, 


theatre  bnilt  of  brick  and  stone,  300  feet  in  diameter, 
with  twenty  rows  of  stone  seats,  one  above  another. 
There  is  a  cental  seil  for  the  president  of  the 
ring,  who  is  generally  some  gentleman  or  noble- 
man. There  are  also  rows  <*f  private  boxes,  and  a 
king's  box. 

The  whole  exhibition  is  under  the  direction  of  an 
association  of  distinguished  citizens — usually  noble- 
men— who  appear  in  their  uniforms  of  gaudy  colors 
and  gay  costumes,  which  always  delights  the  taste 
of  the  Spaniard.  A  large  gate  opens  into  the  ring, 
which  is  approached  by  a  wide  way,  which  is  con- 
nected with  the  various  stalls  of  the  bulls  in  the 
fear.  Each  bull  is  confined  in  a  separate  stall,  with 
food  and  water  let  down  to  him  from  above.  The 
stall  is  opened  by  ropes  from  above.  There  is  a 
large  yard  in  the  rear,  connected  with  the  stalls, 
where  the  bulls  are  sometimes  baited  before  the 
fight.  The  bulls  intended  for  the  ring  are  raised  in 
the  mountains  of  the  western  part  of  Spain  and 
about  Seville,  which  is  the  great  centre  of  this  sport. 
The  bulls,  when  one  year  old,  and  while  in  pasture, 
are  tried  by  the  herdsman,  who  baits  them  and 
defies  them  with  his  long  goad.  If  they  show  the 
white  feather  they  are  converted  into  oxen.  In 
order  to  remove  these  dangerous  animals  from  their 
pastures  to  the  city  where  the  fight  is  to  be  held, 
tame  oaten  are  used  to  entice  them  to  follow  into 


BULL.FIGHTS, 


77 


cages  or  stalls,  which  are  moved  on  wheels  or  taken 
on  the  railroad.  In  the  same  manner  they  are  en- 
ticed by  the  tame  oxen  into  the  yard  of  the  bull- 
ring. The  bull-fight  is  attended  by  all  classes,  from 
the  king  to  the  peasant,  very  much  as  was  the 
Roman  amphitheatre.  Some  come  to  see  nerve, 
agility  and  courage  ;  some  to  see  and  feel  the  trag- 
edy of  blood  and  death ;  the  ladies,  who  may  not  be 
supposed  to  be  enticed  by  these  repulsive  features, 
come  to  see  and  to  be  seen — to  display  their  fine  faces 
and  fine  dresses.  When  a  horse,  disemboweled,  drag- 
ging his  intestines,  his  sides  covered  with  blood,  is 
careering  around  the  ring,  pursued  and  goaded  by 
the  bull,  or  when  he  falls  quivering  in  his  death 
agony — when  the  matador  is  goaded  by  his  mad 
antagonist  and  thrown  over  his  head,  or  the  bull 
falls  pierced  to  the  heart — the  ladies  have  only  to 
shriek  and  put  their  fans  before  their  faces  until  the 
bodies  of  horse,  man  or  bull,  are  drawn  out  of  the 
ring  by  the  gay  team  of  mules,  always  ready  for  the 
occasion. 

The  exhibition  of  each  bull  consists  of  three  acts, 
all  of  which  are  performed  in  about  twenty  minutes. 
First,  at  a  signal  by  the  president,  the  door  is  thrown 
open,  and  the  bull,  dazed  by  the  glare  of  the  light, 
dashes  into  the  ring.  He  sees  the  picadors  drawn 
up  on  the  right  of  the  ring  on  horses,  each  rider 
having  a  long  pole  and  a  short  sword.    The  bull 


78 


BULL'FIGHTS, 


BULL-FIGHTS, 


79 


'* 


makes  for  the  first  picador,  whose  skill  is  shown  in 
turning  his  horse  so  as  to  shun  the  plunge  of  the 
bull  or  turn  him  away,  or,  failing  to  do  this,  to  put 
his  horse  as  a  shield  between  himself  and  the  bull. 
If  the  bull  misses  the  first  picador  he  dashes  for  the 
second,  and  so  on.  This  act  lasts  only  a  few  min- 
utes,  but  in  it  many  horses  are  killed  by  being  dis- 
emboweled. The  treatment  of  these  poor  animals 
is  one  of  the  most  horrid  features  of  the  ring.  They 
are  blindfolded,  and  if  only  wounded,  the  wound  is 
sewn  up  or  stopped  with  tow,  and  they  are  again 
driven  into  the  ring,  iinta  death  ends  their  agonies. 
None  but  the  poorest  animals  are  used  for  the  ring ; 
but  the  cruelty  is  all  the  greater,  as  their  means  of 
defence  becomes  less.  The  bull  is  never  killed  by 
the  picadors.  If,  however,  he  is  a  coward  and  will 
not  charge,  he  is  dispatched  at  once  with  all  manner 
of  hissing  and  derisive  epithets  from  the  crowd, 
who  call  him  a  coward,  and  nothing  but  a  cow. 
The  dogs  are  then  set  on  him,  grapple  him  by  the 
nose  and  bring  him  down,  whea  he  is  stabbed, 
or  houghed — that  is,  the  cords  of  his  hind  legs 
are  cut  with  a  long  knife  and  he  is  then  drawn 
out  bleeding  and  dying.  If  the  bull  is  a  brave 
animal,  after  a  few  minutes'  contest  with  the 
picador,  the  second  act  begins.  At  a  signal  from 
the  president,  the  trumpet  sounds  and  a  body  of 
young  men,  called  chilos*  or  merry-makers,  enter 


the  arena  gayly  dressed  and  with  colored  cloaks. 
They  flaunt  these  in  the  face  of  the  bull  and  entice 
him  away  from  the  picadors.    They  are  exceedingly 
dexterous  and  skilful  in  escaping  from  the  plunge 
of  the  infuriated  animal.    I  was  told  by  a  gentleman 
that  he  had  seen  them,  when  the  bull  was  rushing 
on  them,  leap  between  his  horns  and  over  his  back. 
They  will,  as  they   spring  one   side   of  him,  fix  a 
little  goad  with  a  colored  ribbon  attached  into  his 
neck,  one  on  each  side  and  exactly  opposite  each 

other. 

The  last  trumpet  announces  the  third  act.    The 
audience  are  impatient  for  the  death  scene.    One  of 
the  meanest  features  of  the  whole  exhibition  is  that, 
no  matter  how  brave,  skilful  and  noble  the  bull  may 
have  proved  himself,  or  how  much  he  has  entitled 
himself  to  life  by  all  laws  of  honor,  yet  he  must  die. 
There  seems  not  to  be  a  sentiment  of  true  chivalry 
in  the  whole  performance.     Upon  my  suggestion  of 
the  unfairness  of  this  treatment  to  a  brave  animal, 
I  was  answered  that  if  the  life  of  the  bull  was  spared 
after  a  fight  he  would  pine  away  and  die ;  that  the 
excitement  of  the  ring  or  the  heating  of  his  blood, 
always  killed    him.      The  third  act   now   follows. 
Upon  the   signal,  the    matador— the    executioner, 
comes  in  alone.     He  is  the  man  of  science.     On 
entering,  he  bows  to  the  audience,  throws  his  cap 
on  the  ground,  and  swears  he  will  do  his  whole  duty. 


"-asgifg 


f 
iiinnigiii    - 


8o 


Mffi4^FIQffTS. 


He  has  in  his  right  hand  a  long,  slender  sword,  and 
in  his  left  a  red  flag.  After  enticing  the  bull,  with 
the  flag,  to  make  a  few  plunges,  at  the  proper  mo- 
ment, as  he  darts  one  side  to  let  the  bull  pass,  he 
strikes  the  fetal  blow  ;  if  he  is  skilful  he  pierces 
him  to  the  heart  between  the  left  shoulder  and  the 
blade,  and  so  quickly  ii  it  done  that  he  draws  the 
slim  blade  without  a  drop  of  blood,  brandishing  it 
aloft,  while  the  bull  in  his  last  plunge  falls,  the  blood 
gushing  from  lis  nostrilsi  and  dies  without  a  strug- 
gle. The  team  of  mules,  with  flags  and  bells,  are 
mm  dfiven  iii,.,dlli|:  tiit  'bii  k  .dpirn  on  a  low  hurdle 
around  the  ring,  amid  the  shouts  of  the  audience. 

In  one  afternoon  six  Of  eight  bulls  are  killed  in 
this  way.  Frequently  a  picador  or  a  matador  will 
be  gored  and  killed.  He  is  then  borne  off  to  the 
priest,  who  has  a  room  adjoining  the  ring,  and  there, 
forgotten  by  the  noisy  crowd,  his  soul  is  prepared 
for  liea¥eiit  and  he  passes  from  the  bull-fight  to 
paradise.  Such  is  a  bull-fight,  the  Christian  amuse- 
ment of  Catholic  Spafn.  There  are  more  than  one 
hundred  bull-rings  in  the  kingdom. 

It  is  the  national  amilSeiflcnt,  and  the  great  feasts 
of  the  Church  and  national  holidays  are  signalized 
by  them.  It  is  not  line  that  they  are  becoming  un- 
popular, and  that  none  but  the  lower  classes  attend 
them.  The  rings  are  among  the  finest  erections  in 
every  large  city,  are  under  the  direction  of  the  best 


BULL-FIGHTS. 


8i 


i 


citizens,  and  have  all  the  prestige  of  a  fashionable 

display. 

Bull-fights  originated  with  the  Moors  of  Spain. 
But  in  their  inception  there  was  some  good  reason 
for  them.      Cavaliers,  with  fine  horses  and  a  long 
spear,  showed  their  skill  and  trained  themselves  by 
this  practice  for  higher  feats  of   arms.     Now  the 
amusement   is  degraded   to   gratifying  a  taste  for 
blood,  and  is  in  the  hands  of  performers  who  are  in 
social  life  on  a  par  with  our  prize-fighters  and  the 
professional  bully.   Centuries  ago  the  tender-hearted 
Queen  Isabella,  failing  to  abolish  this  national  amuse- 
ment, sought   to   mitigate    its   ferocious  character. 
She  was  so  much  horrified  by  one  of  these  combats 
at  Arevalo,  that  she  refused  ever  again  to  attend  a 
fight  unless  the  horns  of  the  bull  were  guarded,  so 
as  to  prevent  serious  injury  to  horses  and  men. 

Yet  the  Spaniard  has  his  arguments  by  which  he 
will  defend  this  his  national  amusement,  and  it  is 
fair  to  give  him  the  advantage  of  them.     He  says 
every  nation  must  have  amusement,  and  a  historical 
and  traditional  one,  if  otherwise  good,  is  the  best ; 
that  there  is  more  or  less  cruelty  in   all  national 
sports.    The  Englishmen  and  American  will  play 
with  his  fish  and  slowly  drown  him  ;  will  slaughter 
the  buffalo  for  sport ;  hunt  lions  and  elephants  for 
amusement.     They  shoot   pigeons    and   pheasants 
for  the  fun  of  killing  them.    Common  people  in  all 


82 


MADRID, 


cmilllri^S,  with  wives  5Uid  children,  attend   execu- 
tions. 

All  people  are  fond  of  the  tragic — like  to  see  any- 
thing and  everything  die  game.  We  Spaniards  in 
our  day  only  indulge  in  the  same  propensities.  We 
kill  old  horses  outright  rather  than  torture  them  in 
life.  We  kill  bulls,  which  are  used  for  beef,  and  in 
doing  tMs  we  indulge  off  fowciness  for  dexterity, 
courage  and  nerve.  So  reasons  the  Spaniard,  and 
if  we  can  justify  ourselves  it  may  not  be  difficult 
for  him  to  defend  bull-fights. 


PARTIES  AND   POLITICS. 

No  one  can  understand  the  politics  of  Spain  with- 
out some  knowledge  of  the  various  parties  and  the 
form  of  the  present  government.  Ferdinand  VII 
died  in  1833,  having  induced  the  Cortes  to  repeal 
tie  Salic  law,  so  that  females  could  sit  on  the 
throne.  He  had  had  four  wives.  His  last  wife  was 
Christina  of  Naples.  He  was  an  old  man,  worn  out 
by  a  sensual  life,  when  he  married  her.  He  had 
had  no  children  by  his  former  wives.  Christina  was 
a  far-seeing,  unscrupulous,  scheming  woman.  We 
must  be  pardoned  for  some  gossip,  which  often  con- 
tains truth  and  explains  great  public  events.  Queen 
Christina  had  two  children — daughters.  There  are 
those  who  say,  with  much  appearance  of  truth,  that 


MADRID, 


83 


these  daughters  were  not  the  children  of  Ferdinand 
VII.     After  the  death  of  Ferdinand,  the  Queen  was 
found  to  have  secretly  adopted  another  husband, 
with  whom  she  is  now  living  and  by  whom  she  has 
a  large   family.    There  is  much  reason  to  believe 
that  no  drop  of  the  blood  of  Ferdinand  runs  in  the 
veins  of  Queen  Isabella.    She  began  her  reign,  while 
an  infant,  in  1833,— her  mother,  ex-Queen  Christina, 
being  Regent.    The  character  of  the  daughter  was 
no  fairer  in  after  years  than  that  of  her  mother. 
She  married  her  cousin  in   1846.     He  has  always 
been  considered  a  weak,  infirm  man.     No  children 
were  born  to  her  until  five  years  after  her  marriage 
when  a  sister  of  the  present  King  was  born.     It  is 
common  fame  in  Spain  that  Queen  Isabella  is  a 
woman  of  loose  life.     Had  not  the  crown  been  on 
her  head,  no  virtuous  woman  would  have  endured 
her  presence. 

These  things  will  account  for  the  low  estimation 
in  which  the  people  of  Spain,  of  all  orders,  hold  the 
Royal  family.  Domestic  virtue  has  never  been  a 
quality  of  the  monarchs  of  Spain,  male  or  female, 
from  the  time  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  Ferdi- 
nand, even,  had  his  mistresses.  Charles  V  had  his 
natural  son,  Don  John  of  Austria,  the  hero  of  Le- 
panto.  Philip  II  had  his  favorite,  the  Princess  of 
Eboli.  The  life  of  every  monarch  since  would  re- 
veal a  state  of  morals  truly  deplorable.     Purity  of 


&4 


MADRID^ 


MADRID, 


85 


character  in  private  life  is  not  the  commonest  virtue 
among  the  mea  or  women  of  the  higher  classes  in 
Spain.  It  is  far  more  common  among  the  peasantry, 
who  have  felt  less  the  demoralizing  influences  of 
religion,  the  Inquisition,  and  foreign  gold,  for  the 
last  three  centuries,  than  the  grandees. 

DECLINE   OF  ROYALTY. 

Thus  It  happens  that  this  line  of  monarchs,  once 
such  absolute  tyrants  over  a  people  their  willing 
subjects,  have  now  lost  all  hold  on  their  affections 
and  the  prestige  which  royal  descent  gives  in  other 
nations.      The    Spanish    people    now    use    royalty 
only   as  a   convenience,  or   necessary   evil.      Even 
Spain  could  not  endure  such  a  Queen  as  Isabella 
II.    They  banished  her  itt  1868,  and  Marshal  Ser- 
rano was  chosen  Regeiil  tii  1869,  when  Amadeus 
was  elected  King  under  a  new  Constitution.     Mar- 
shal Prim  was  the  moving  spirit  in  all  this.    It  was 
for  the  interest  of  the  old  line  of  the  kings  that  he 
should  be  put  out  of  the  way,  and  he  was  accord- 
ingly assassinated  in  his  carriage  as  he  was  driving 
from  the  Cortes.    Amadeus  arrived  to  attend  the 
funeral  of  the  man  who  put  him  on  the  throne  and 
the  only  man  who  could  keep  him  there.     Amadeus 
was  young,  unfit  for  public  business,  with  no  char- 
acter  for  stormy  times  and  no  appreciation  of  his 


I 


situafibn.  He  hated  all  the  duties  of  his  station 
and  neglected  them.  By  his  disregard  of  ceremony 
he  offended  the  high  and  sensitive  notions  of  the 
Spaniards  and  the  foreign  Embassadors.  He  would 
receive  these  gentlemen  in  his  hunting-jacket  and 
high-top  boots.  He  left  in  1873,  when  a  Republic 
was  declared. 

THE  CORTES  AND  ITS  PRESIDENTS. 

The  Cortes  appointed  one  after  another  President 
during  the  year  1873.    There  was  anarchy  in  every 
province.      Barcelona   set  up    for  herself,  and  the 
Basque    provinces    declared    for    Don   Carlos,   the 
cousin  of  the  present  King,  who  would  be  rightful 
heir  provided  the  Salic  law  were  in  force.    After 
many  Presidents  had  resigned,  Castelar  wished  to 
try  his  hand  at  governing.     He  was  declared  Presi- 
dent.    He  had  been  a  writer  and  a  theorist,  and 
firmly   believed   in   a   Federal   Republic,  after  the 
model   of   our   own,   as   the    only   government    for 
Spain.     When  he  came  to  rule  a  turbulent,  discon- 
tented people,  he  found  none  of  the  theories  which 
he  had  advocated  all  his  life  would  work.     He  had 
to  give  up,  and  violate  every  one  of  them,  in  des- 
pair.     He  settled  the  affair  of  the    Viginius  with 
America  to  avoid  a  war,  while  there  was  a  moral 
certainty  that  Spain  was  in  the  right.    When  the 


86 


MADRID. 


MADRID. 


87 


Cortes  met  in  the  latter  part  ©I  1874,  after  he  had 
been  in  power  a  few  months,  they  disapproved,  on 
the   first    night   of   the   session,   of   everything   he 
had  done.     He  offered  to  resign ;  and,  while  they 
were    discussing   this    question,   a  General  of  the 
forces  in  Madrid  sent  a  message  by  his  adjutant  to 
the  Cortes  that  he  thought  they  had  fulfilled  theif 
mission  and  had  better  dissolve.     This  aroused  the 
Cortes  to  great  wrath,  and  they  began  to  take  meas- 
ures to  punish  this  officer,  who  assumed  to  control 
them.     While  this  excited  discussion  was  going  on, 
the  aide-de-camp  again  appeared,  saying  the  General 
was  desirous  of  an  answer  to  his  demand.    Acci- 
dentally a  pistol  of  one  of  his  guards  fell  and  went 
off.    The  whole  Cortes,  thinking  an  army  was  upon 
them,  fled  in  dismay  and  as^er  met  again.     The 
same  night  a  proclamation  was  put  forth  from  some 
diie,  no  one  knows  from  whom,  that  the  Cortes  was 
dissolved  and  Marshal  Serrano  would  assume  the 
control  of  the  government,  under  the  name  of  Presi- 
dent.   Thus  between  night  and  morning  the  govern- 
ment was  changed,  without  any  visible  power,  by  a 
mere  paper  proclamation.     Marshal  Serrano  ruled 
till    1875,  when  another  Junta  suddenly,  between 
night  and  morning,  proclaimed,  in  pretty  much  the 
same    way,    Queen    Isabella's    son,  Alfonso    XII, 
King  of  Spain,  with  Canovas  at  the  head  of  the 
government. 


\ 


We  have  mentioned  these  details  to  show  the 
working  of  parties  in  Spain  and  methods  of  over- 
turning the  government.  The  politicians  are  divided 
into    numerous    parties,    there    being    about    five 
now  in  the  Cortes.    They  have  their  names— the 
Conservatives,   Moderates,   Liberals,   etc.      At   the 
time  of  our  visit,  Canovas  had  the  leading  of  more 
than  half  of  the  Cortes.     Castelar  was  at  the  head 
of  one  party,  consisting  of  himself  and  one  other, 
and  one  party  had  only  himself  as  a  follower.    The 
object  of  parties  in  Spain  is  not  a  change  of  admin- 
istration, as  in  England  and  America,  but  it  is  the 
overthrow  of  the  government;  their  opposition  is 
conspiracy,  and  they  are  plotting  against  each  other 
constantly,  not  only  for  control  of  government,  but 
for  a  new  one,  with  new  principles  and  a  new  Con- 
stitution.    With  such  plotting  and  counterplotting 
going  on,  no  one  can  tell  what   may  happen  to- 
morrow.     Any    Captain-General,   under    favorable 
circumstances,  may  overturn  the  government  in  a 
night.     Every  General   in  the  army  has  perjured 
himself  over  and  over  again.     Conspirators  are  not 
punished,  for  the  party  in  power  know  they  may  at 
some  time   be   conspirators  themselves,   and  they 
treat  each  other  leniently. 

THE  PRESENT  GOVERNMENT. 

The  people  are  now  heartily  tired  of  revolutions 


88 


MADRID. 


MADRID. 


89 


and  they  seem  disposed  to  give  the  present  King  a 
fair  trial.    The  Monarchists  and  Conservatives  sup- 
port him.    Since  his  accession,  a  new  Constitution 
has  been  adopted  in  place  of  the  one  of  1869.   Some 
of  the  principal  features  of  it  are  as  follows :    The 
law-making  power  is  the  Cortes,  with  the  King.    The 
Cortes  is  composed  of  a  Senate  and  a  Congress, 
with  equal  powers.    Senators  are  of  three  classes- 
ist,  those  in  their  own  right,  such  as  sons  of  kings, 
grandees  who  pay  a  certain  amount  of  taxes,  certam 
generals,  bishops,  etc. ;  2d,  Senators  appointed  by 
the  Crown;   3A  Senat»«»  chosen  by  electors  who 
pay  a  certain  amount  of  taxes.     The  Congress  is 
composed  of  Deputies  chosen  by  electors  in  all  the 
49  provinces  in  proportion  of  one  to  every  50,CXX) 
inhabitants.    They  must  be  25  years  of  age.    The 
Deputies  cannot  hold  State  offices  or  have  pensions 
or  a  salary.     They  must  meet  every  year.     The 
King  can  suspend  the  Congress  at  any  time,  but 
another  must  be  elected  within  three  months  there- 
after.    The  King  appoints  the  President  and  Vice- 
President  of  the  Senate  from  among  its  members. 
The    King  is  not    responsible,  but  his  Ministers 
are,  for  all  acts  of  government.     He  cannot  marry 
without  the  approval  of  the  Cortes.    Don  Alfonso 
XII  is  declared  King,  with  succession  to  his  chil- 
dren.   The  Ministers  appear  in  either  House.  They 
consist  of  the  President  of  rt»  Council  of  Ministers, 


V   I 


» 


who  IS  the  Premier,  and  eight  Ministers,  each  pre- 
siding over  a  separate  department  of  the  State. 

In  some  respects,  Spain  resembles  the  federal 
government  of  the  United  States.  There  are  49 
provinces,  each  of  which  has  a  provincial  legislature 
and  a  civil  government.  Each  province,  by  pre- 
scriptive right  from  time  immemorial  has  certain 
local  rights  called  fueros,  which  they  have  fought  to 
preserve  for  centuries.  They  generally  relate  to 
freedom  from  taxation  and  privileges  of  that  kind. 
These  provincial  assemblies  have,  like  our  States, 
certain  rights  guaranteed  to  them,  and,  like  our 
States,  they  administer  their  own  local  laws  and 
also  such  laws  passed  by  the  central  government  as 
they  are  subject  to.  The  effort  of  the  central  gov- 
ernment is  to  destroy  all  these  fueros  or  prescriptive 
rights  of  the  different  provinces,  so  far  as  they  ren- 
der taxation  and  other  burdens  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment unequal,  and  to  make  the  provincial  legis- 
latures merely  administrators  of  the  general  laws  of 
the  Cortes. 

AN  ELECTIVE  MONARCHY. 

The  Cortes  of  Spain  presents  one  of  the  features 

'of    Constitutional    government   in   all   its    history. 

This  is  the  principle  of  self-government  brought  into 

Spain  by  the   Goths  long  before   any  Parliament 

existed  in  England.     It  has  been  a  bright,  golden 


MADRID, 

thread  all  through  the  history  of  Spain.    This  prin- 
ciple, almost  destroyed  by  Charles  V  and   his  de- 
scendants, has  again  reasserted  its  authority  and  will 
yet  be  the  salvation  of  Spain.      Through  all  the 
history  down  to  Charles  V,  the  Cortes,  composed 
of  the  three  estates— the  nobles,  the  clergy,  and  the 
representatives  of  the  towns — insisted  on  their  right 
to  elect  the  King,  and  they  demanded  the  oath  from 
him.     In  Aragon,  upon  the  election  of  a  King,  he 
was  addressed  by  the  President  of  the  Council  or 
Cortes,  who  remained  covered, Jn  these  words:  "We 
who  each  is  as  good  as  you,  and  who  together  are 
greater  tlpa  f  ou,  make  you  our  King  on  condition 
that  you  preserve  our  privileges  and  liberties;  if  not, 
BO.**    Then  they  elected  a  Grand  Justice,  who  was 
to  be  placed  above  the  King  and  decide  upon  all 
disputes  between  Cortes  and  King.    We  never  cease 
to  admire  this  feature  in  Spanish  history.     It  has 
been  the  irery  bulwark  of  their   liberties,  the  one 
grand  rock  they  have  clung  to  when  all  other  sem- 
blance of  liberty  has  been  swept  away  by  kingly 
and  clerical  tyranny.     From  the  time  of  Charles  V 
to  the  time  of  Isabella  II,  despotic  power,  backed 
by  the  Church,  has  been  trampling  out  every  spark 
of  liberty  in  Spain ;  but  this  old  Gothic  principle  of 
Gothic  independence— the  Cortes— has  at  last  saved 
the  nation.    What  the  nation  now  needs  is  a  stable 
government,  peace,  and  the  education  of  the  people. 


MADRID. 


THE  LAW  AND   LAWYERS  OF  SPAIN. 


91 


In  many  respects  the  Government  of  Spain  is 
federal,  like  that  of  the  United  States,  subject  to 
the  Central  Government  of  the  King  and  Cortes. 
There  are  forty-nine  provinces,  with  a  provincial 
governor  and  legislature  elected  by  the  communes, 
of  which  we  sha'l  first  speak.  The  commune  is  the 
unit  of  authority,  and  consists  of  electors,  and  as  the 
people  are  mostly  gathered  in  cities  and  towns,  com- 
munes are  confined  to  thcLie.  Every  commune  of 
at  least  sixty  in  number  has  a  legislative  body 
called  ayuntiamento,  consisting  of  from  twenty-one 
to  twenty-eight  members,  presided  over  by  a  presi- 
dent, called  the  alcalde.  It  is  very  similar  to  the 
municipal  authority  of  our  cities  with  the  mayor  at 
their  head.  In  large  towns  and  cities  there  are  ap- 
pointed assistant  alcaldes.  The  entire  municipal 
government,  with  authority  to  levy  and  collect  taxes, 
and  to  preserve  the  peace,  is  vested  in  this  ayuntia- 
mento.   The  members  are  elected  every  two  years. 

Out  of  this  communal  representation,  or  ayunti- 
amento, springs  the  provincial  parliament  of  each  of 
the  forty-nine  provinces  of  Spain,  the  members  of 
which  are  chosen  by  the  ayuntiamentos. 

The  provincial  parliaments  are  invested  with  certain 
political  powers  with  which  the  Cortes  cannot  inter- 
fere except  in  cases  where  their  action  shall  contra- 


90 


MADRID. 


thread  all  through  the  history  of  Spain.    This  prin- 
ciple, almost  destroyed  by  Charles  V  and   his  de- 
scendants, has  again  reasserted  its  authority  and  will 
yet  be  the  salvation  of  Spain.      Through  all  the 
history  down  to  Charles  V,  the  Cortes,  composed 
of  the  three  estates— the  nobles,  the  clergy,  and  the 
representatives  of  the  towns — insisted  on  their  right 
to  r/fif  the  King,  and  they  demanded  the  oath  from 
him.     In  Aragon,  upon  the  election  of  a  King,  he 
was  addressed  by  the  President  of  the  Council  or 
Cortes,  who  remained  covered,. in  these  words;  "We 
who  each  is  as  good  as  you,  and  who  together  are 
greater  than  you,  make  you  our  King  on  condition 
that  you  preserve  our  privileges  and  liberties;  if  not, 
no."    Then  they  elected  a  Grand  Justice,  who  was 
to  be  placed  above  the  King  and  decide  upon  all 
disputes  between  Cortes  and  King.    We  never  cease 
to  admire  this  feature  in  Spanish  history.     It  has 
been  the  very  bulwark  of  their   liberties,  the  one 
grand  rock  they  have  clung  to  when  all  other  sem- 
blance of  liberty  has  been  swept   away  by  kingly 
and  clerical  tyranny.     From  the  time  of  Charles  V 
to  the  time  of  Isabella  II,  despotic  power,  backed 
by  the  Church,  has  been  trampling  out  every  spark 
of  liberty  in  Spain ;  but  this  old  Gothic  principle  of 
Gothic  independence— the  Cortes— has  at  last  saved 
the  nation.    What  the  nation  now  needs  is  a  stable 
government,  peace,  and  the  education  of  the  people. 


MADRID. 


91 


THE  LAW  AND   LAWYERS  OF  SPAIN. 

In  many  respects  the  Government  of  Spain  is 
federal,  like  that  of  the  United  States,  subject  to 
the  Central  Government  of  the  King  and  Cortes. 
There  are  forty-nine  provinces,  with  a  provincial 
governor  and  legislature  elected  by  the  communes, 
of  which  we  shall  first  speak.  The  commune  is  the 
unit  of  authority,  and  consists  of  electors,  and  as  the 
people  are  mostly  gathered  in  cities  and  towns,  com- 
munes are  confined  to  the^^e.  Every  commune  of 
at  least  sixty  in  number  has  a  legislative  body 
called  ayuntiamento,  consisting  of  from  twenty-one 
to  twenty-eight  members,  presided  over  by  a  presi- 
dent, called  the  alcalde.  It  is  very  similar  to  the 
municipal  authority  of  our  cities  with  the  mayor  at 
their  head.  In  large  towns  and  cities  there  are  ap- 
pointed assistant  alcaldes.  The  entire  municipal 
government,  with  authority  to  levy  and  collect  taxes, 
and  to  preserve  the  peace,  is  vested  in  this  ayuntia- 
mento.    The  members  are  elected  every  two  years. 

Out  of  this  communal  representation,  or  ayunti- 
amento, springs  the  provincial  parliament  of  each  of 
the  forty-nine  provinces  of  Spain,  the  members  of 
which  are  chosen  by  the  ayuntiamentos. 

The  provincial  parliaments  are  invested  with  certain 
political  powers  with  which  the  Cortes  cannot  inter- 
fere except  in  cases  where  their  action  shall  contra- 


ZS: 


92 


MADRID. 


Irene  some  general  law  of  the  kingdom.    A  most  in- 
teresting feature  of  the  laws  of  Spain  is  the  fueros, 
m  the  ancient  rights  and  privileges  belonging  to  dif- 
ferent kingdoms,  provinces,  towns,  and  cities.     For 
example,  Biscay  is  free  £r<>ill  conscription,  taxes,  and 
.stamps;  the   King  and  Queen  of  Spain  are  only 
Lord  and  Lady  of  Biscay.    These  fueros  the  differ- 
«nt  provinces  have  always  maintained  with    great 
tenacity,  and  they  have  always  stood  in  the  way  of 
a  strong  central,  consolidated  government.     It  has 
been  the  f  Pit  and  is  the  present  policy  of  the  General 
Government  to  abolish  the  fueros  and  to  bring  the 
Icingdom  under  one  uniform  code  of  laws,  each  part 
bearing  the  same  burdens.    Don  Carlos  is  the  cham- 
pion of  the  party  in  the  different  provinces  who  hold 
to  the  ancient  fueros.    Vm  laws  as  to  real  property, 
descent,  and  wills  differ  in  each  province.     Primo- 
geniture as  to  lands  has  been  abolished,  but  not  as 
to  titles.    This  will  be  a  death-blow  to  the  aristoc- 
yj^q^^  as  an  ailstocracy  without  property  is  a  mere 
name.    All  transfers  of  real  property  mortgages  and 
all  deeds  affecting  real  estate  must  be  recorded  in 
the  same  manner  as  in  the  United  States.  Foreigners 
can  hold  real  estate,  provided  they  register  the  same. 
Spain  has  more  codes  and  more  compiled  law  than 
any  other  kingdom,  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  her 
civil  law  and  the  administration  of  it  has  been  far  in 
advance  of  her  politics. 


MADRID, 


93 


There  are  no  less  than  seven  different  codes  or 
compilations  of  the  laws  of  Spain,  beginning  with  the 
Fuero  Jusgo  of  the  Goths,  as  early  as  the  year  480. 
There  is  a  commercial  code  in  force  in  Spain  very 
similar  to  the  French  code  of  1807.  Probably  the 
earliest  published  code  of  mercantile  law  in  the  world 
was  issued  at  Barcelona  in  1494,  called  the  law  of  the 
sea.  It  was  the  law  of  maritime  Europe  for  cen- 
turies. 

We  are  surprised  to  find  what  a  large  body  of  law 
has  been  published  in  Spain,  and  how  much  labor 
has  been  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  jurists  of  the 
kingdom.  Numerous  faculties  exist  in  the  different 
universities  for  teaching  and  lecturing  upon  these 
codes,  and  all  barristers  must  take  a  degree  from 
some  one  of  these  faculties  before  they  are  admitted 

to  the  bar. 

For  the  administration  of  justice  the  whole  of 
Spain  is  divided  into  districts  and  circuits,  very 
much  as  the  United  States  are  divided  for  federal 

courts. 

1st.  There  is  one  supreme  court  of  appeal  of  uni- 
versal jurisdiction,  which  sits  at  Madrid.  It  has  a 
chief  president  and  three  branches  of  eight  judges 
each.  It  has  jurisdiction  of  all  cases  in  civil  and 
criminal  law,  and  has  authority  to  prosecute  various 
corporations,  ecclesiastical  and  political,  and  to  en- 
tertain writs  of  certiorari  to  other  courts. 


3F» 


MADRID, 


MADRID, 


95 


2d.  Territorial  courts,  which  have  the  same  juris- 
diction in  their  respective  territories. 

3d.  Courts  of  the  1st  instance,  to  hear  certain 
classes  of  minor  offences  in  each  district. 

4th.  Municipal  courts,  similar  to  our  justices*  and 
mayors'  courts,  which  take  cognizance  of  cases  not 
involving  more  than  fifty  dollars  and  petty  offences. 

There  is  a  judicial  officer,  called  justice  of  instruc- 
tion, who  investigates  criminal  cases  and  prepares 
them  for  trial.  All  the  chief  judges  are  appointed  by 
the  crown  and  receive  a  salary.  There  are  various 
ecclesiastical  courts  and  courts  for  the  army  and 
navy.  There  is  a  court  to  adjudicate  claims  against 
the  government,  and  a  special  court  for  the  trial  of 
tic  newspaper  press.  The  bar  is  divided  into  bar- 
risters and  attorneys  ;  no  one  can  act  in  both  capac- 
ities. The  barrister  must  have  received  an  academic 
education,  and  a  degree  of  licentiate  at  law  at  a  uni- 
versity.   This  degree  is  not  required  of  the  attorney. 

Both  judges  and  barristers  are  amenable  to  pros- 
secution  and  fine  for  dereliction  in  duty.  The 
judges  and  barristers  are  men  of  learning  and  ability 
and  would  do  honor  to  the  bar  of  any  country. 
There  is  care  enough  and  lawyers  enough  in  Spain  to 
save  the  country,  and  it  is  our  opinion  that  if  the  no- 
bility and  the  politicians  were  equal  to  the  judges  and 
the  lawyers,  the  country  would  be  redeemed.  There 
is  a  jury  sitting  with  the  judge  in  criminal  cases,  and 


' 


the  attempt  has  been  made  recently  to  introduce 
the  trial  by  jury  in  all  civil  cases.  This  has  been 
strenuously  resisted  by  the  people  themselves  on 
the  ground  that  they  are  not  willing  to  give  their 
time  to  settle  other  men's  quarrels.  They  have  not 
been  educated  to  the  jury  system.  It  has  not  in 
their  eyes  the  prestige  of  once  having  been  the 
bulwark  of  the  liberties  of  the  people,  and  they  take 
a  common-sense  view  of  it.  For  two  good  reasons 
they  reject  it  when  applied  to  civil  matters.  First,  on 
the  ground  that  substantial  justice  is  more  likely  to 
be  done  by  the  decision  of  one  wise  judge  accus- 
tomed to  evidence  than  by  that  of  twelve  men  not 
so  accustomed ;  and,  secondly,  on  the  ground  that 
twelve  men  should  not  be  called  to  pay  the  penalty 
of  a  disagreement  between  two.  Let  us  pay  a  visit 
to  one  of  the  courts.  In  the  Calle  de  Atocha  is  the 
Audiencia,  or  the  Supreme  Court  of  Madrid  and  its 
district.  It  is  in  the  old  building  which  was  once 
the  Newgate  of  Madrid.  This  court  corresponds  to 
a  Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States.  The  court 
room  is  large  and  hung  with  red  curtains.  At  one 
end,  on  a  platform  behind  a  table,  sit  six  judges 
elderly  and  scholarly-looking  men  with  black  silk 
caps  on  their  heads  and  wearing  black  gowns  trim- 
med with  gold  lace  around  the  wrists.  Next  to  the 
judges*  platform  a  portion  of  the  room  is  railed  off, 
within  which  seats  with  desks  in  front  of  them  are 


96 


MADRID, 


provided  for  the  barristers.  No  person  except  two 
barristers  and  the  clerk  are  inside  the  railing.  On 
the  wall  opposite  the  judges  hangs  a  good  picture 
of  the  crucifixion.  This  I  found  in  every  court 
room  and  was  told  it  was  a  universal  custom.  At 
the  time  of  my  visit  the  barristers  were  arguing  a 
case,  and  spoke  sitting  with  large  briefs  before  them, 
but  with  no  law  books.  They  were  well  dressed, 
spoke  without  wig  or  cap,  with  great  fluency  and 
earnestness.  When  the  court  had  heard  enough,  the 
presiding  judge  rung  a  bell  and  said  the  argument 
was  ended.  Immediately  the  barristers  gathered  up 
their  papers  and  bowing  to  the  bench  put  ^n  black 
caps  and  passed  out.  All  the  spectators  are  requested 
to  retire  and  leave  the  judges  sitting  on  the  bench, 
who  bow  to  them  as  they  leave.  The  title  of  the 
chief  judge  has  heretofore  been  Regent  and  he  is  by 
the  new  constitution  a  life  senator.  Among  the 
barristers  are  many  learned  and  eloquent  men,  such 
as  Alvarez,  Bugallal,  de  Muro,  Martinez  who  drew 
the  new  constitution,  Silvela  Issasa,  de  Arriela 
Accirado  and  Cortina. 

The  civil  laws  of  Spain  have  not  been  codified, 
but  a  commission  has  been  appointed  for  this  work 
and  their  report  is  now  ready  to  be  acted  on.  The 
criminal  law  is  codified.  The  common  law  and  the 
decrees  of  the  Council  of  Trent  form  part  of  the 
common  law  of  the  country. 


THE  ESCORIAL. 


THE  ESCORIAL. 


97 


Situate  about  thirty  miles  northwest  from  Madrid 
is  the   Escorial,  which   has   been  called  the  eighth 
wonder  of  the  world.     It  owes  its  existence  to  super- 
stition and  is  a  monument  of  folly,  but  of  folly  of 
the  sublime  order,  and  is  none  the  less  interesting  on 
that  account.     Charles  V  had  directed,  in  his  will, 
that  a  tomb  worthy  of  his  fame  should  be  erected 
by  his  son,  Philip  II.     On  the  loth  of  August,  1557, 
Philip  fought  the  battle  of   St.  Quentin,  with  the 
French.     This  was   St.  Lawrence's  day,  who  had 
been   broiled   about    thirteen   centuries   before,   at 
Huescar,  in  Spain— a  martyr  to  the  truth.     In  the 
midst   of  the   battle   of   St.  Quentin,  when  panic- 
stricken  with  fear,  Philip  raised  his  supplications  to 
St.  Lawrence— as  did  the  warriors  of  old,  when  sore 
pressed,  to  Jupiter  and  Mars — and  vowed,  in  case  that 
saint  should  give  the  Spaniards  the  victory,  to  repay 
him  by  a  monument  worthy  of  the  benefit  bestowed. 
The   Spaniards  conquered.     When  his  wars  were 
over,  Philip,  in  order  to  fulfill  his  vow  and  the  direc- 
tions of  his  father's  will,  to  indulge  his  monkish  pro- 
pensities and  his  real  taste  for  architecture  and  the 
arts,  and  as  an  excuse  to  withdraw  himself  from  the 
cares  of  his  court  at  Madrid,  set  himself,  as  the  last 
act  of  his  life,  to  build  the  Escorial.     He  was  the 
chief    architect,   and   in   it  he  was  to   gratify  his 

5 


98 


THE  ESCQMUL. 


gloomy,  ascetic  nature,  and  build  a  fitting  residence 
where  he— half  king,  half  monk— might  end  his 
days. 

This  great  edifice  he  located  at  the  foot  of  the 
lofty  and  barren  mountains  of  Guadarama,  which 
tower  above  it  in  grim  and  fitting  grandeur.     In- 
stead of  constructing  a  magnificent  Gothic  cathe- 
dral, embodying  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  age 
and  of  all  ages,  with  a  crypt  for  his  royal  father,  and 
calling  it  St.  Lawrence,  he  built  this  strange  mixture 
of  cathedral,  palace,  tomb  and  monastery— an  incon- 
gruous mixture,  where  each  part  mars  the  effect  of 
the  other.     In  fulfillment  of  his  vow,  the  pile  was  to 
be  in  the  form  of  St.  Lawrence's  gridiron  standing 
bottom  upward.    The  four  towers  are  the  legs ;  the 
royal  apartments  are  the  handle ;  the  temple  and 
the  cloisters  fill  up  the  framework  and  are  built  in 
lines   across   a   large   parallelogram,  leaving  courts 
within  to  represent  the  interstices  of  the  holy  instru- 
ment.    It  is  744  feet  from  north  to  south  and  580 
from  east  to  west.     It  cost  about  fifty  millions  of 
dollars.     It  is  built  of  dark  granite,  with  no  architect- 
ural ornament    to    relieve    the  externals.     It   has 
11,000  windows,  80  staircases,  73   fountains,   1,860 
rooms,  and  was  intended  rather  for  the  convenience 
of  the  two  hundred  monks  than  for  architectural 
effect.    The  windows  are  small  and  give  the  appear- 
ance of  an  immense  factory.    It  was  commenced  in 


THE  ESCORIAL, 


99 


1 563  and  finished  in  twenty-one  years.  Philip  had 
the  gloomy  satisfaction  of  living  in  it  as  a  monk 
and  among  the  monks  just  fourteen  years  to  a  day 

thereafter. 

It  has  a  grand  situation,  elevated,  buttressed 
against  the  lofty  mountain  which  towers  above  it 
and  far  away  in  a  broken  line  to  the  north ;  while 
on  the  other  side  the  view  over  the  plains  below, 
toward  Madrid,  is  extensive  and  impressive.  Stretch- 
ing from  the  walls  to  the  plain  below  are  gardens 
filled  with  ponds  and  fountains  and  laid  out  in  the 
stiff  French  style. 

A  hurried  walk  through  this  immense  pile  would 
consume  a  whole  day.  The  cloisters  of  the  monks 
would  be  of  no  interest.  The  palace  for  the  resi- 
dence of  the  royal  family  is  the  usual  wilderness  of 
rooms,  suite  after  suite,  filled  with  gilded  furniture 
of  silk  and  satin.  The  best  pictures  have  been  car- 
ried to  Madrid  and  now  are  in  the  Museo.  There 
is  one  thing,  however,  in  these  royal  apartments 
worthy  of  note.  There  is  a  most  magnificent  array 
of  tapestry,  apparently  Gobelin,  filling  room  after 
room  and  suite  after  suite  ;  it  would  seem  almost  a 
mile  in  extent.  The  walls  of  the  rooms  are  entirely 
covered  with  it.  Here  are  the  rooms  of  Don  Carlos, 
the  unfortunate  son  of  Philip,  who  is  said  to  have 
fallen  in  love  with  his  mother-in-law,  the  queen. 
He  hated  his  father  and  was  hated  by  him  in  return, 


ft 

1 


I 


I 

p 


100 


THE  ESCORIAL, 


II 


and  Philip  is  said,  but  not  on  good  authority,  to 
have  put  his  ill-fated  son  to  death  secretly. 

The  Temple,  as  it  is  called,  is  the  best  part  of  the 
Escorial.     It  is  320  feet  long,  230  feet  wide,  and  the 
top  of  the   dome  over  the  centre   320  feet  high. 
There  are  three  lofty  naves  stretching  from  end  to 
end,  without  any  object  in  the  centre  to  break  the 
view.     Tie  coro,  or  choir,  which  fs  usually  in  the 
centre  of  the  cathedral,  a  position  which  destroys  the 
effect  the  immense  size  ought  to  produce,  is  here  put 
at  one  end,  in  a  gallery  over  the  grand  front  entrance. 
This  entrance  is  closed  by  massive  doors,  which  are 
never  opened  except  to  receive  a  royal  personage, 
dead  or  alive.     The  columns  are  very  massive,  four 
of  them  support  the  central  dome,  which  stretches 
up  grandly,  like  St.  Peter's,  320  feet.     These  four 
central  columns  are  pentagonal  and  are  about  30 
feet  in  circumference.     At  the  end  opposite  the 
choir  is  the  high  altar,  which  is  approached  by  red 
marble   steps  extending  across  the  whole  church. 
There  is  over  the   high  altar  a  gilded   tabernacle, 
which  has  been  erected  in  place  of  one  of  bronze 
covered  with  gold,  which  was  a  marvel  of  beauty  and 
was  destroyed  by  French  soldiers,  who  took  it  for 
gold.     It  was  considered  one  of  the  finest  works  of 
art  in  the  world.     The  screen  behind  the  high  altar 
is  93  feet  high,  and  is  one  mass  of  beautiful  gilded 
ornaments,  carving,  statuary,  and  of  all  kinds  of 


THE  ESCORIAL, 


lOI 


marble  and  orders  of  architecture.  The  roof  of  the 
whole  Temple  is  frescoed,  and  the  bright  blue  color- 
ing stands  out  in  pleasing  contrast  with  the  severe 
simplicity  of  all  other  parts.  The  proportions  of 
the  whole  are  perfect,  and  the  impression,  as  the 
eye  wanders  from  one  end  to  the  other,  through 
these  massive  aisles  and  up  through  the  lofty  naves, 
is  one  of  severe  grandeur. 

Adjoining  the  grand  altar  and  opening  upon  it  by 
a  door  is  a  small  chamber,  where  Philip  died.  He 
was  accustomed  to  live  in  one  of  the  monk's  cells 
above ;  but  when  he  became  too  weak  to  attend  the 
services  and  death  approached,  he  was  brought  down 
into  this  little  chamber,  in  order  that  his  dying  eyes 
might,  with  their  last  gaze,  rest  on  the  host  on  the 
altar.     His  death  is  thus  described  by  Ford  : 

"  His  lingering  end  was  terrific  in  body  and  mind. 
He  lay  long,  like  Job,  on  a  dunghill  of  his  own  filth, 
consumed  for  fifty-three  days,  like  Herod,  by  self- 
engendered  vermin.  The  crucifix  he  held  in  his 
hand  when  he  died  was  the  same  with  which  Charles 
V  had  expired.  He  was  haunted  with  doubts 
whether  his  bloody  bigotry — the  supposed  merit  of 
his  life— was  not,  after  all,  a  damning  crime.  His 
ambition  over,  a  ray  of  common  sense  taught  him 
to  fear  that  a  Moloch  persecution  breathed  little  of 
the  spirit  of  Christianity." 

Thus  died  the   man  whose  minions  under   the 


THE  ESCORIAL. 


Duke  of  Alva  had  carried  fire  and  sword  over  the 
Netherlands;  who  by  the  same  instrument  had 
planned  with  Catherine  de  Medici  the  hideous  mas- 
sacre of. St.  Bartholomew;  who  had  used  the  cells 
the  rack  and  fire  of  the  Inquisition,  in  the  name 
of  religion,  to  gratify  the  cruel  superstition  of  his 
nature. 

At  the  right  of  the  high  altar  is  the  Relicario, 
where  this  great  gatherer  of  relics  kept  the  precious 
treasury  of  dead  men's  bones.  He  had  here  7421 
rehcs,  among  which  were  eleven  whole  bodies,  300 
heads,  more  than  600  legs  and  arms,  346  veins,  and 
1,400  pieces  of  teeth,  toes,  etc.  They  were  kept  in 
beautiful  plated  shrines  until  the  French  tumbled 
them  out  promiscuously,  and  they  have  since  been 
difficult  to  label. 

The  tomb  of  the  kings  of  Spain  is  a  room  beneath 
the  high  altar.  You  descend  by  polished  marble 
steps,  carrying  a  light  before  you,  and  are  ushered 
into  a  room,  octagon  in  shape,  about  forty  feet  in 
circumference,  and  about  the  same  in  height.  All 
is  cold,  black  marble  around  you.  Urns  of  polished 
marble  stand  in  rows  around.  The  monarch  who 
dies  reigning  is  placed  on  otie  side  and  the  consorts 
on  the  other.  The  line  of  dead  monarchs  here  be- 
gins with  Charles  V  and  ends  with  Ferdinand  VII, 
the  reputed  father  of  the  ex-Queen  Isabella.  Here 
stand  many  empty  urns,  which  time  is  sure  to  fill, 


THE  ESCORIAL, 


103 


unless  republicanism  shall  break  the  royal  line  of 
kings.  The  monarchs  who  precede  Charles  V  Ue 
buried  in  different  capitals  in  Spain.  The  great  St. 
Ferdinand  at  Seville;  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and 
their  daughter,  Crazy  Jane,  mother  of  Charles  V,  at 
Grenada.  Charles  having  abdicated  in  favor  of  Philip, 
in  1557  went  to  Yuste,  and  lived  the  life  of  a  hermit 
till  September  21,  1558,  when  he  died  and  was  there 
buried  and  remained  for  sixteen  years,  when  he  was 
removed  to  the  Escorial. 

He  inherited  a  strain  of  insanity  from  his  mother, 
and  transmitted  it  to  his  son  Philip.  The  lesson  is 
impressive  to  stand  in  this  dimly-lighted,  sombre 
tomb,  and  see  before  you  all  that  remains  of  mon- 
archs who  once  ruled  over  the  fairest  parts  of  Europe 
and  the  New  World,  from  the  Danube  to  the  Pacific 
ocean. 

The  French  took  from  the  Escorial  all  the  silver 
and  gold  ornaments,  but  they  could  not  carry  away 
the  massive  granite  of  its  walb,  and  so  they  have 
done  comparatively  little  injury. 

The  pictures  of  the  Escorial  were  removed  in  time 
to  save  them,  and  now  they  grace  the  walls  of  the 
Museo  at  Madrid.  Among  these  were  Raphael's 
Pearl  and  the  Gloria  of  Titian,  under  which  Charles 
V  lay  buried  sixteen  years  at  Yuste.  In  the  time 
of  Philip  the  cloisters  of  the  Escorial  contained  two 
hundred  monks,  and   Philip  had  his  place  among 


I04 


THE  ESCORIAL, 


them.      His  stall  is  shown  in  the  coro,  where  he 
chanted  vespers  with  the  monks,  and  where  he  was 
kneeling  when   he   received,  without   a  smile,  the 
news  of  the  battle  of  Lepanto,  fought  by  his  natural 
brother,  Don  John  of  Austria,  and  which   saved 
Christendom   from   the   infidel.      The  monks  were 
disbanded  in  1836,  and  now  parts  of  this  immense 
pile  are  used  for  schools.      Let  us  state  the  fact 
fairly  and  leave  the  reader  to  judge  whether  the 
national  religion  has  elevated  or  debased  the  morals 
of  the  people,  has  been  a  friend  or  an  enemy  to  all 
true  progress. 


I 


TOLEDO. 

About  fifty-five  miles  south  of  Madrid  lies  Toledo, 
once  the  city  of  kings  and  priests.  The  Goths,  the 
Moors,  and  the  Christians  in  turn  made  it  their 
capital,  and  embellished  and  defended  it.  It  lies  on 
the  River  Tagus.  In  approaching  it,  coming  from 
Madrid,  we  strike  the  Tagus  sixteen  miles  above 
Toledo,  and  follow  the  river  down  through  a  fine 
valley,  which  in  any  other  land  would  be  a  garden  of 
fruitfulness.  But  the  route  from  Madrid  is  through 
treeless  plains,  apparently  barren.  The  soil  is  good 
for  grain,  but  cultivation  is  miserable;  no  farm 
houses,  no  pastures,  no  cattle,  no  orchards,  no  grass 
are  seen. 

As  we  approach  Toledo  it  stands  forth  grandly,  a 
city  set  upon  a  hill.  It  is  situated  on  the  northern 
end  of  a  high,  rocky  knoll,  jutting  out  from  the  hills, 
which  extend  far  away  to  the  south,  rising  as  they 
recede,  till  they  reach  the  mountains  of  Toledo.  On 
the  north  side  these  hills  break  abruptly  down  into 
a  beautiful  plain,  over  which  hangs  the  city. 

The  Tagus,  which  is  a  fine,  large  river,  coming 
from  the  east,  strikes  this  line  of  hills  near  their 
northern  terminus  and  breaks  through  them.     Fol- 


-zaiiiiiMliiMiii^^^^— lit 


io6 


TOLEDO, 


lowing  a  depression  ill  tie  hills,  it  has  cut  a  deep 
channel  through  them  in  the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe, 
and  emerges  on  the  western  side.  It  entirely  sepa- 
rates the  northern  end  of  this  rocky  promontory 
from  the  hills  behind  to  the  south. 

Upon  this  hill,  thus  separated  from  the  others  by  the 
river  on  three  sides,  and  with  a  beautiful  plain  stretch- 
ing away  to  the  north,  on  the  other,  is  situated 
Toledo.  It  was  evidently  chosen  for  the  ease  with 
which  it  could  be  defended.  The  river,  which  separ- 
ates it  on  the  east,  south,  and  west  from  the  hills 
behind,  forces  its  way  through  a  rocky,  wild,  roman- 
tic gorge,  hundreds  of  feet  below  the  city.  Along 
the  northern  side  of  the  city,  facing  the  plain,  across 
this  bend,  from  the  river  above  to  the  river  below, 
a  lofty  wall  with  heavy  battlements  is  built,  looking 
proudly  on  all  the  plain  below.  The  city  was  thus 
completely  defended  on  three  sides  by  the  deep 
gorge  of  the  river,  and  on  the  other,  at  the  open  end 
of  the  horse-shoe,  by  walls  and  battlements.  Like 
Constantinople,  it  is  far  more  impressive  viewed  at 
a  distance  than  from  within. 

We  cross  the  Tagus,  into  the  city,  on  the  massive 
arches  of  an  old  Roman  bridge.  It  is  a  grand  old 
structure  even  now.  It  has  two  wide  spans,  and  is 
called  the  Puerte  de  Alcantara,  or  the  Bridge  of  the 
Bridge.  The  view  down  the  wild  gorge  of  the  river, 
with  the  rocky  face  of  the  mountain  on  one  side,  and 


TOLEDO, 


107 


the  heights  of  the  city,  crowned  with  the  castle, 
churches,  and  lofty  buildings,  on  the  other,  is  one  of 
the  finest  city  views  in  the  world.  To  get  from  the 
river  into  the  city  we  are  obliged  to  ascend  by  a 
long,  zigzag  road,  passing  through  the  ancient  walls 
by  a  lofty  gateway  built  by  the  Goths. 

THE  PLAZA  AND  THE  PEOPLE. 

This  leads  us  into  the  square  called  the  Zocodover, 
which  is  the  only  open  place  in  the  city  where  the 
inhabitants  can  walk  for  exercise.  It  is  only  300  feet 
square.  Here  the  bull-fights  and  the  autos  da  fd 
were  held  in  former  times;  and  here  now,  in  the 
afternoon,  the  people  walk  up  and  down  in  their 
long  cloaks,  the  upper  classes  on  one  side,  and  the 
common  people  on  the  other.  There  is  an  air  of 
liaughty  gentility  about  the  Toledoans,  as  if  they 
were  conscious  of  high  descent.  Although  clothed 
in  rags,  which  are  covered  by  his  long  cloak,  almost 
every  Spaniard  claims  noble  blood  in  his  veins.  He 
is  poor,  yet  haughty  and  proud.  In  cathedrals, 
churches,  palaces,  galleries,  in  every  public  office  or 
building,  the  officers  will  accept  politely  a  little  sil- 
ver for  their  services.  Beggars  abound  in  almost  all 
cities  in  Spain,  and  in  Toledo  particularly  they  are  a 
nuisance.  The  cathedrals  are  filled  with  them. 
Toledo  once  had  2CO,ooo  inhabitants ;  it  now  has 
17,000.  The  streets  of  the  city  are  irregular,  too  nar- 


io8 


TOLEDO. 


row  for  a  carriage,  winding  in  all  directions,  up  hill  and 
down,  and  so  confused  that  no  stranger  can  find  his 
way  through  them.  The  houses  are  tall,  and  the 
streets  between  them  look  like  foot-paths  and  are 
filled  with  all  sorts  of  filth.  Houses  and  streets 
seem  to  have  been  built  for  the  twofold  object  of 
keeping  out  enemies  and  the  heat. 

PAST  GLORIES. 

Toledo  was  once  the  capital  of  the  Goths.     Here 
reigned  Roderick,  the  last  of  the  Goths ;  and  here, 
on  the  river  banks,  they  will  show  you  the  baths 
where    he  became    enamored  of  the  daughter  of 
Count  Julian,  whose  romantic  and  sad  story  ended 
in  the  subjugation  of  all  Spain  by  the  Moors  and  the 
death  of   Roderick.     Here  dwelt  Charles  V  in  all 
his  magnificence  in  the  Alcazar,  the  great  palace 
and  castle  of  the  city.     Here  lived  also  Philip  H, 
who  adorned  the  city  with  churches.     Here  ruled  in 
princely  magnificence  the  cardinals  of  Spain;  among 
them  Mendoza,  who,  in  the  time  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  was  called  the  Third  King,  and  Ximenes, 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  characters  of  Spanish 
history.     Here  is  the  most  magnificent  cathedral  of 
Spain— not  so  large  as  the  cathedral  of  Seville,  but 
far  more  artistic  and  grand ;  not  more  beautiful  or 
perfect  in  its  plan  than  that  of  Burgos,  but  larger 
and  more  elegantly  finished 


TOLEDO. 


109 


The  Archbishop  of  Toledo  is  still  the  primate  of 
all  Spain.  Madrid  belongs  to  his  see.  But  the  glory 
has  departed  from  this  once-renowned  city.  Decay 
is  written  on  all  its  buildings,  walls,  battlements, 
churches,  monasteries,  and  even  on  the  faces  of  the 
people.  It  had  once  30  churches  and  chapels  gath- 
ered around  the  cathedral,  14  convents,  23  nunneries 
and  colleges,  and  9  hospitals.  These  buildings  were 
large,  and  were  erected  high  up  on  the  walls  of  the 
city,  in  conspicuous  places;  but  now  most  of  the 
nunneries  and  monasteries  are  closed,  and  the  build- 
ings are  tumbling  to  ruins. 


MANNERS  AND   CUSTOMS. 

Toledo  has  no  business  ;  scarcely  a  person  is  seen 
in  the  streets,  excepting  priests  and  women.  The 
cathedral,  with  its  priests  and  attendants,  seems 
to  be  the  only  business  place  in  the  city,  and  the 
only  visible  means  of  support  to  the  town.  There 
are  no  hotels  worthy  of  the  name,  no  wells,  no  cis- 
terns or  water  in  the  place.  Water  is  brought  up  from 
the  Tagus  on  the  backs  of  men  or  donkeys  and  sold 
in  jugs.  We  can  easily  imagine  that  cleanliness  is 
not  a  fault  among  Spaniards.  They  will  drink  water 
all  day  long.  It  is  sold  at  all  the  places  of  resort  and 
at  railway  stations  by  women.  Even  at  midnight, 
when  the  train  stops,  you  hear  the  shrill  cry,  "  Agua! 
agua!"     But   the   use   of  water  stops  here.    The 


no 


TOLEDO. 


Spaniard  never  uses  water  externally.  The  clergy 
used  to  teach  that  cleanliness  was  a  sinful  indulg- 
ence, and  Southey  states  that  Saint  Eufraxia  en- 
tered into  a  convent  of  130  nuns,  not  one  of  whom 
had  ever  washed  her  fectt  and  the  very  mention  of 
a  bath  was  abomination*  Isabel,  the  daughter  of 
Philip  II,  vowed  she  would  not  change  her  shift 
until  Ostend  was  taken.  The  siege  lasted  three 
years,  and  tlie  garment  attained  the  tawny  color 
which  was  afterward  called  and  is  now  known  as 
Isabel.  Since  the  monks  have  been  driven  out,  it  is 
right  to  say  the  Spanish  ladies  have  not  considered 
personal  cleanliness  and  moral  purity  so  antagonistic 
as  they  once  did.  At  Toledo  the  Moors  once  had 
water-works  l»it  the  Tagus,  with  immense  wheels, 
which  pumped  water  into  the  city,  but  the  Spaniards, 
centuries  ago,  allowed  them  to  go  to  decay,  and 
now,  with  the  swift-flowing  Tagus  at  their  feet, 
the  whole  city  buys  its  supply  of  water  from  the 
earthen  jars. 

Madrid  and  Malaga  are  the  only  cities  in  Spain  that 
we  remember  which  are  well  supplied  with  water ;  but 
there  is  not  enterprise  enough,  even  in  these  cities, 
to  supply  the  dwellings  with  it.  No  Spanish  house, 
inn,  or  hotel  has  any  external  conveniences,  no  yards 
or  open  spaces  in  the  rear.  With  no  water  or  drain- 
age, the  house  is  the  receptacle  of  all  vileness,  and 
in  Toledo  is  this  the  case  above  all  other  places.    In 


TOLEDO. 


Ill 


order  to  endure  the  house  one  night  we  were  obliged 
to  hire  the  parlor  of  the  inn  and  have  a  bed  put  in  it 
as  far  away  as  possible  from  the  intolerable  smells, 
and  sleep  with  the  window  open  to  the  street. 

Next  to  the  cathedral  and  the  Alcazar,  one  of  the 
most  interesting  relics  of  this  dilapidated  city  is  the 

FRANCISCAN   CONVENT, 

called  San  Juan  de  los  Reyes,  built  by  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella  in  commemoration  of  a  great  victory  at 
Toro.  It  has  a  commanding  situation  gn  the  south-' 
west  side  of  the  city,  high  over  the  gorge  of  the 
Tagus  and  looking  far  down  its  winding  valley.  It  has 
been  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  the  Gothic  style  in 
the  world,  and  though  for  centuries  it  has  suffered 
by  the  hands  of  the  invader,  particularly  the  French, 
still  there  are  beautiful  gems  seen  in  the  old  ram- 
bling buildings,  in  stairways,  balustrades,  arches  and 
windows.  These  bits  left  here  and  there  show  that 
once  it  was  erected  after  the  most  florid  style  of 
Gothic  architecture.  Cardinal  Ximenes  lived  here 
with  his  reformed  monks.  The  outer  walls  of  the 
church  are  hung  with  long  ancient  and  rusty  chains 
of  immense  size,  which  were  taken  from  the  Chris- 
tian captives  rescued  from  the  dungeons  of  Ronda 
when  that  fortress  was  taken  from  the  Moors  in 
1485.  Here  they  have  hung  for  centuries  as  a 
votive  offering  to  the  Virgin  Mother. 


112 


TOLEDO, 


To  see  Toledo  properly  we  must  go  around  it  and 
through  it.  If  we  walk  ardund  it  outside  of  the 
walls,  from  the  river  above  the  city  to  the  river 
below  we  see  fts  lofty  position,  and  we  see  also 
along  on  its  walls  immense  monasteries,  nunneries 
and  churches,  deserted  and  going  to  ruin.  The 
walk  up  through  the  gorge  of  the  river  is  exceed- 
ingly romantic.  There  are  along  the  banks  many 
ancient  mills,  which  have  existed  from  the  time  of 
the  Moors  without  any  change.  The  bed  of  the 
river  lisa  deep  that  scarcely  anything  of  the  town 
can  be  seen  from  its  banks.  As  you  walk  through 
tlie  clly  tie  silence  is  oppressive.  It  is  the  city  of 
the  past.  You  see  a  few  women  going  to  church, 
many  priests  in  broad-brimmed  hats  and  black  flow- 
ing robes,  and  now  and  then  a  soldier  and  a  water- 
peddler.  There  is  no  life,  no  business,  no  vehicles. 
But  still  all  IS  so  ancient,  so  singular,  so  confused, 
that  you  are  constantly  interested.  You  can  trace 
in  the  old  walls  and  in  the  buildings  the  successive 
works  of  Goths,  Romans,  Moors  and  Christians. 
To  the  artist  this  old,  dead  city  must  be  a  perfect 
treasure.  Curious  gems  of  Gothic,  Moorish  and 
Christian  architecture  meet  you  at  every  turn,  in 
old  doors,  windows,  towers,  battlements,  bastions, 
arches  and  bridges.  All  these  are  so  located  and  com- 
bined with  the  beautiful  natural  features  as  to  make 
this  decaying  city  of  the  past  a  perfect  delight  to 


TOLEDO. 


113 


the  artistic  eye.  The  only  edifices  which  are  of  much 
present  interest  are 

THE  CATHEDRAL  AND    THE  ALCAZAR. 

Like  most  cathedrals  in  Spain,  this  is  so  closely  sur- 
rounded  by  buildings   that   you   can   get  no  good 
view  of  it  except  from  above.     It  has  one  fine  and 
finished  tower.     The  body  of  the  cathedral  has  five 
naves,  which  are  very  stately  and  effective,  and  it  is 
entirely  surrounded   by  side   chapels   founded  and 
named  after  some  of  the  most  distinguished  persons 
in  the  history  of  the  country.     The  north  doors  are 
of  brass  and  most  beautifully  wrought,  and  almost 
equal  to  the  famous  doors  of  the  baptistery  of  Flor- 
ence made  by  Ghiberti.     The  south  doors  are  very 
lofty  and  are  made  of  carved  wood.     The  cathedral 
is  404  feet  long  and  204  feet  wide,  and  the  roof 
is   supported   by  84  piers.     The  stained-glass  win- 
dows are  among  the  finest  in  Spain.     The  choir  is 
in  the  centre  of   the  church,  and  is   one  mass  of 
most  elaborately   carved  mahogany.      In    it   there 
are  about  a  hundred  stalls  for  the  clergy  and  the 
singers.     The   stalls  are   in   two   rows,   one   above 
another.    The  upper  row  is  ornamented  by  scenes 
from  Scripture  history,  from  Adam  down,  carved  in 
the   wood.    The  lower  row  of   seats   is  decorated 
by  scenes  from  the  life  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 
This  carving  is   in   the  very  highest  style  of  art. 


114 


TOLEDO. 


The  high  altar  to  the  very  top  of  the  nave  is  com- 
posed entirely  of  beautiful  work  in  wood  and  mar- 
ble. 

This  cathedral  has  also  a  famous  Virgin  made  of 
black  wood,  very  ancient.  It  ^eeins  to  be  a  cardinal 
principle  with  Spaniards,  that  the  older  and  the 
uglier  the  Virgin  the  more  worthy  is  she  of  divine 
honors.  What  she  lacks  in  beauty  of  person  is  sup- 
plied by  tinsel,  brocade,  pearls,  necklaces,  rings  and 
trinkets  without  number.  Fancy  how  the  lowly 
virgin  of  Nazareth  or  the  suffering  mother  at  Jeru- 
salem would  have  looked  decked  out  in  all  this 
trash !  They  have  here  also  a  slab  of  marble  on 
which  the  Virgin,  in  one  of  her  flights  from  heaven, 
once  alighted.  It  is  railed  off  from  the  crowd  and 
cased  in  wood,  but  you  may  put  your  finger  through 
the  bars  and  touch  it,  as  all  the  faithful  do.  The 
inscription  in  Latin  before  it  is :  "  We  will  worship 
in  the  place  where  her  feet  once  stood." 

And  so  they  do  worship  the  Virgin  Mary  in  this 
cathedral,  as  well  as  in  all  other  parts  of  Spain. 
After  visiting  all  the  cathedrals  of  Spain,  one  cannot 
resist  the  convlfetfon  that  the  worship  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  or  rather  of  her  image,  is  the  religion  of  the 
country.  It  is  a  strong  impulse  of  our  nature  to 
appeal  to  one  of  like  passions  with  ourselves,  of 
deep  sympathy  with  us,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
power  to  help  and  to  save ;  and  the  priests  of  Rome 


TOLEDO. 


"5 


have  taken  advantage  of  this  quality  to  introduce 
the  worship  of  the  Virgin.  The  Catholic  clergy 
have  taught,  for  ages,  that  we  get  justice  alone  from 
Christ ;  that  if  we  want  mercy,  love  and  sympathy, 
we  must  go  to  the  Virgin  Mary.  It  is  thus,  that 
this  suffering,  sympathizing  mother  of  God  has 
turned  the  hearts  of  a  whole  nation  away  from  the 
worship  of  the  God-man.  They  have  kept  in  the 
background  the  great  fact  of  revealed  religion— that 
the  Saviour  of  the  world  was  at  once  the  sympathiz- 
ing, suffering  man,  bone  of  our  bone,  flesh  of  our 
flesh,  and  yet  God  over  all.  They  do  not  direct  the 
people  to  Him  for  sympathy,  mercy  and  grace,  as 
well  as  for  divine  aid.  The  acknowledgment  of 
this  one  great  truth — the  mediation  of  the  God-man 
— has  given  Protestantism  its  strongest  hold  on  the 
minds  ot  rational  men;  the  neglect  of  it  has  led,  in 
Catholic  countries,  to  the  worship  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  as  its  substitute. 

The  associations  which  cluster  around  this  cathe- 
dral relate  to  some  of  the  greatest  characters  of 
Spanish  history.  "  The  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  by 
virtue  of  his  office.  Primate  of  Spain  and  Grand 
Chancellor  of  Castile,  was  esteemed,  after  the  Pope, 
the  highest  ecclesiastical  dignitary  in  Christendom." 
He  was  the  Cardinal  of  Spain.  His  revenues  were 
princely.  He  led  into  war  a  larger  number  of  vas- 
sals than  any  other  subject.      He  often  ruled  the 


ii6 


TOLEDO, 


TOLEDO. 


117 


kingdom  as  regent  and  led  the  armies.  Here  Men^ 
doza  and  Ximenes  sat  on  their  archiepiscopal  thrones 
and  directed  the  destinies  of  Spain  in  the  noblest 
era  of  its  history.  Here  Mendoza  lies  buried  in  the 
same  chapel  with  the  ancient  kings.  The  Pope  and 
the  King  of  Spain  are  Canons  of  Toledo,  and  the 
King  is  fined  if  he  is  absent  from  the  services  on  a 
certain  feast-day  of  each  year. 

The  Alcazar  is  an  immense  structure,  dating  from 
the  tenth  ceat»fy.  Charles  V  repaired  it  and  lived 
there.  For  hundreds  of  years  it  has  been  deserted 
by  the  royal  family.  It  is  now  converted  into  a 
military  college,  where  about  1,000  young  men  are 
being  trained  for  service  in  the  army  by  thirty-two 
professors.  Most  of  them  are  sons  of  noblemen 
and  they  are  a  fine,  manly-looking  set  of  young  men. 
Each  wears  a  long  blue  overcoat,  red  pants,  a  glazed 
cap,  and  a  sword  dangling  at  his  side.  They  are 
the  only  signs  of  life  in  this  old,  dead  city.  Every 
Sabbath  they  march  through  the  city  to  the  largest 
church,  each  with  a  musket,  with  the  senior  officer 
at  the  head  of  the  column,  and  a  fine  band  of  music. 
They  fill  the  whole  body  of  the  church.  A  com- 
pany, with  their  muskets  grounded,  stand  each  side 
of  the  high  altar  with  their  commander  in  front  of 
the  altar.  Mass  is  then  said  for  about  fifteen  min- 
utes, during  which  time  the  band  plays  the  "  King's 
March."    The  music  reverberates  grandly  through 


J 


/ 


the  lofty  arches  and  over  the  vast  crowd.  When 
the  host  is  elevated,  the  music  is  changed  to  a 
minor  key,  and  the  whole  body  of  cadets  kneel,  with 
their  muskets  glistening  above  their  heads.  All  is 
over  in  twenty  minutes,  when  to  the  sound  of  music 
they  file  out  again  and  return  through  the  winding 
streets,  in  military  order,  to  the  castle. 

As  I  saw  the  ceremony,  crowds  of  people  attended 
to  hear  the  music  and  see  the  sight,  but  no  one — 
soldiers  or  spectators — gave  any  heed  to  the  services. 
This  ceremony  well  shows  the  relation  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Spain  to  the  Church.  They  will  go  to  the 
church  on  feast  days  or  on  great  occasions,  hear  the 
music,  kneel  before  the  host,  pray  to  the  Virgin 
Mary,  and  cross  themselves  when  they  pass  her 
image.  Religion  is  a  necessary  form  to  the  Span- 
iard, because  he  is  educated  to  feel  the  power  of  the 
Church  over  him.  It  is  convenient  for  him  in  sick- 
ness or  old  age. 

There  is  only  one  thing  about  Toledo  which  re- 
minds one  of  the  nineteenth  century.  About  a 
mile  below  the  city,  on  the  plain  by  the  river  Tagus, 
is  situated  the  famous  manufactory  of 

TOLEDO   BLADES. 

Here  are  made  all  those  Spanish  swords  which 
are  so  famous  for  their  polish,  temper  and  beautiful 
workmanship.     The  works  are  in  an  immense  rect- 


>^  I 


ii8 


TOLEDO, 


angle,  and  employ  hundreds  of  men.  To  the  Span- 
iard this  is  the  most  wonderful  object  around  To- 
ledo.  To  us  it  was  the  least.  To  the  Spaniard,  whose 
eyes  had  ever  been  familiar  with  grand  old  cathe- 
drals  and  ruins  of  bygone  centuries,  a  manufactory 
was  a  marvel.  To  the  American,  whose  ears  are 
familiar  with  the  sound  of  the  spindle  and  trip- 
hammer,  the  rare  works  of  ancient  genius  are  the 
wonder. 

We  lingered  on  the  waUs  of  this  old  capital  until 
the  sun  went  down,  casting  its  last  gleams  upon  its 
lofty  heights,  upon  the  Alcazar  and  the  proud  old 
cathedral  tower,  and  threw  long  shadows  into  the 
gorge  of  the  Tagus.    A  kind  of  fascination  held  us 
here  on  the  high  ramparts  of  the  eastern  wall  until 
the  full  moon  arose  and  in  turn  threw  its  soft  gleams 
on  castle,  and  ramparts  and  far  down  into  the  valley 
of  the  river.     It  brought  out  in  full  relief  the  bas- 
tions and  towers  which  stood,  like  grim  sentinels, 
over  the  weird  scene,  mourning,  if  ought  inanimate 
e'er  mourns,  over  the  departed  glories  of  this  once 
mighty  city.   They  had  looked  down  into  these  same 
valleys  filled  in  turn  with  the  legions  of  Rome,  the 
swarms  of  the  invading  Goths,  the  armies  of  the 
fiery   Moor  and  the   hosts  of    Christian  warriors. 
They  had  beheld  the  deeds  and  glory  of  Wamba,  of 
Charles  V,  of  Mendoza  and  Ximenes,  men  mighty 
in  Church  and  State.    They  had  beheld  the  bloody 


TOLEDO. 


119 


rack  of  the  Inquisition  and  the  fires  of  the  auto-da- 
//.  They  seemed  to  say :  "  All  are  gone— Romans, 
Goths,  Moors,  Emperors,  Cardinals,  with  all  their 
pomp  and  power,— while  we  remain.  Man  dies,  but 
we  live.     He  is  mortal;  we  are  immortal." 

So  reason  the  gloomy  towers  of  Toledo  by  moon- 
light, as  they  watch  over  dead  kings  and  cardinals. 
So  reasons  the  man  who  knows  no  hereafter. 


LA  MANCHA. 


121 


M 


LA  MANCHA. 
Jim^  a  lover  ol  Don  Quixote,  or  Don  Quijote 
^  the  Span,ards  call  hin,,  would  go  to  Spain  fo   , he 

and  h,s  doughty  squire  gained   in^mortal  renoL 
On  our  way  from    Toledo    to   Granada  we  pi 
through  the  province  of  La    Mancha,  which   the 
gemus  of  Cervantes  alone  could  have  made  famous 

salt,  wuh  a  few  squahd  villages,  with  a  race  of  poor 
but  mdustnous  people,  of  whom  Sancho  Panza  is  a 
good  specimen.  At  Menzenares  we  are  in  the  ce„ 
^e  and  m  the  capital  of  the  province  of  La  Man  a 
Here  we  are  w.thin  a  few  miles  of  the  little  inn 
Venta  de  Quesada.  where  Don  Quijote  was  knigh  d 
and  occasionally  we  pass  one  of  those  wind  jj    '; 

the  d      ^        :i  "''■*  '"'■"'^''^'  ^"  °PP-'-'ty  for 
the  display  of  his  martial  prowess 

The  peasants  of  Spain  have  the  most  implicit  be- 
hef  m  the  existence  of  this  renowned  knight.     He 

nd^^o     V:  '!^-"-      "''  "^"^^'^"^  ^^-"^"- 

story  at?/  t        '  "'  ''^  ""'''  ^""^  ^'  -"^  --i 
stoiy  at  the  village  mns  of  Spain.   About  fifty  miles 


further  on  we  reach  the  station  of  Baeza.  Here 
there  are  mines  of  lead  and  copper,  worked  in  the 
same  manner  as  they  were  under  the  Romans  two 
hundred  years  ago.  Here  Scipio  the  younger  fought 
a  great  battle  with  Asdrubal,  about  200  B.  c.  Here 
you  may  see  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  Himilce,  the 
wife  of  Hannibal.  But  the  crowning  honor  of  this 
place  is  that  it  is  the  birth-place  of  St.  Ursula,  who 
so  heroically  ended  her  life  at  Cologne  with  her 
11,000  virgins,  whose  bones  we  have  many  of  us 
seen  there.  It  is  generally  bad  taste  to  spoil  a  good 
story,  but  I  must  be  allowed  the  explanation  of  this 
legend  given  by  Ford,  which  is  that  it  arose  from  a 
mistaken  reading  of  an  old  manuscript  which  was 
"Ursula  et  XL  M.  V.,"  meaning  eleven  martyred 
virgins. 

From  Toledo  to  Granada  our  way  runs  nearly 
south,  crossing  the  headwaters  of  the  Guadiana 
and  the  Guadalquivir.  We  strike  the  latter  at 
Menjibar,  from  whence  it  flows  southwesterly  to 
the  Atlantic,  passing  in  its  course  Cordova  and 
Seville,  two  of  the  most  beautiful  cities  in  Spain. 
It  is  not  the  beautiful,  clear,  poetic  river,  some- 
times described  in  song.  In  winter  and  spring  it 
is  swollen  and  turbid,  cutting  away  its  banks  and 
overflowing  them.  In  summer  it  dwindles  to  a 
shallow  stream,  winding  through  wide,  treeless 
meadows. 


/" 


I 


I 


I 


LA  MANCHA. 


ON  THE  DILIGENCE. 


LA   MANCHA. 


123 


At  Menjibar  we  leave  the  railroad,  which  is  very 
circuitous  in  its  route  to  Granada,  for  the  diligence. 
If  we  wish  to  see  real  Spanish  life,  customs,  dress, 
and  the  people  as  they  live,  we  must  take  the  dili- 
gence through  the  small  villages,  stopping  at   the 
posadas  and  ventas,  as  the  village  inns  are  called. 
On  a  fine  day,  with  beautiful   mountain   scenery, 
mounted   on  the  driver's  seat,  with  six  horses  or 
mules,  each  having  bells,  the  diligence  is  the  very 
poetry  of  traveling.     One  postilion  rides  one  of  the 
leaders  from  eight  in  the  morning  till  eleven  o'clock 
at  night, — eighty  miles  without  a  rest.     It  is  said 
that  these  postilions,  before  the  days  of  railroads, 
rode  from  Madrid  to  Granada,  a  journey  of  two 
hundred  miles,  in  two  days  and  a  night.     We  had 
another  attendant  who  seemed  to  be  a  conductor, 
and  went  the  whole  journey.    Another,  called  the 
Mayoral,  drove  the  team,  havfhg  reins  only  for  the 
wheel  horses.     He  would  drive  only  from  one  sta- 
tion, where  horses  were   changed,  to  another,  and 
always  came  with  and  left  with  his  team,  and  had  the 
entire  charge  of  them  in  the  stables  and  on  the  road. 
He  carried  with  him  a  bag  of  stones,  which  he  would 
throw  with  great  skill  at  the  leaders  which  his  whip 
would  not  reach.    The  driver  talked  and  shouted  to 
the  horses  all  the  way,  and  at  a  certain  sound  made 


by  him  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  they  would  break  into 
a  run.  About  every  eight  miles,  the  driver,  with 
his  horses,  would  leave,  and  a  new  driver  and  a 
fresh  team  would  take  their  places.  The  postilion 
carried  a  horn  slung  around  his  neck,  with  which  he 
heralded  our  approach  to  every  village. 

Leaving  Menjibar,  we  wind  for  a  short  distance 
along  the  banks  of  Guadalquivir,  which  we  soon 
cross  on  an  iron  bridge,  and  make  our  way  up  out 
of  the  valley  on  to  the  high,  treeless  plains,  which 
are  bare  and  muddy  in  winter  and  hot  and  parched 
in  summer. 

THE  SPANISH   POLICE. 

For  fifteen  miles  we  see  not  a  tree,  not  a  fence, 
not  a  field  of  grass,  scarcely  a  house  or  a  person^ 
except  the  guards  who  patrol  the  roads.  These 
guards  civiles  are  stationed  on  most  of  the  traveled 
routes  of  Spain,  for  protection  against  banditti. 
They  are  sometimes  mounted  and  always  well 
armed,  dressed  in  military  uniform,  with  a  cocked 
hat.  They  are  found  at  every  railway  station,  in 
every  village,  and  at  regular  distances  upon  all  the 
roads.  They  are  fine-looking  men  of  good  character. 
We  found  them  miles  away  from  any  dwelling,  two 
together,  patroling  the  roads  over  which  we  passed, 
always  armed  with  a  musket.  They  have  rendered 
traveling  safe  in  all  parts  of  Spain. 


\ 


124 


LA    MANCHA, 


LA   MANCHA, 


125 


SIGHTS  AND  SMELLS. 

A  ride  of  fifteen  miles  over  plains  which  have 
every  appearance  of  barrenness,  gradually  rising, 
brings  us  to  the  ancient  city  of  Jaen,  which  is  beau- 
tifully situated  among  tbe  hills.  It  is  the  key  to 
Granada  from  the  north  ;  mountains  rise  around  it 
in  every  direction.  It  has  a  cathedral,  a  number 
of  fine  churches  and  some  famous  reHcs.  As  we 
have  iio  partiality  for  old  bones,  teeth,  finger  nails, 
locks  of  hair,  or  old  rags,  we  spend  no  time  upon 
them.  Here  we  made  our  first  trial  at  a  venta,  or 
country  iniL  As  we  were  to  travel  till  eleven  o'clock 
at  night  without  anything  to  eat,  my  guide  brought 
me  a  most  delicious  morsel  of  veal,  fried  in  vinegar 
and  garlic,  which,  with  bread,  was  all  the  venta  af- 
forded. We  were  conteilted  with  oranges  and  bread 
for  our  day's  provision.  Our  fellow-travelers  here 
prdvide<5  themselves  for  the  day — bread  and  sausages 
seasoned  with  garlic  and  fried  in  garlic.  During  a 
shower  we  were  obliged  to  ride  in  the  coup^,  shut 
up  with  two  of  them.  Every  few  minutes  they 
would  partake  of  the  sausage  and  politely  offer  me 
some.  After  indulging  in  this  food  for  some  time 
they  became  thoroughly  impregnated  with  the  odor. 
They  breathed  garlic  from  within;  their  pockets 
emitted  garlic  from  without.  Garlic  was  every- 
where.   The  air  was  filled  with  it ;  and  such  garlic 


who  can  describe  ?  Shut  up  in  the  close  coup^  with 
these  two  persons  the  odor  was  terrific,  and  sea-sick- 
ness is  a  comfort  to  what  I  felt.  I  was  obliged  to 
open  the  window,  put  my  head  out  and  pretend  to 
look  at  the  beautiful  scenery.  At  Jaen  we  are  about 
fifty  miles  from  Granada.  Our  road  lies  through 
winding  valleys,  along  which  mountain  torrents  rush 
in  winter  and  the  beds  of  which  are  often  used  as 
roads  in  summer.  We  ascend  gradually  through  pass 
after  pass,  where,  hand  to  hand,  the  Moors  and  the 
Christians  fought  over  every  inch  four  centuries  ago. 
We  are  now  among  the  Sierra  Susanna,  which  bound 
the  Vega  of  Granada  on  the  north.  Their  lofty 
snow-capped  heights  look  down  into  one  of  the 
most  fruitful  and  lovely  valleys  under  the  sun. 

THE  APPROACH  TO  GRANADA. 

As  we  emerge  from  the  mountain  valley  and  de- 
scend into  the  Vega,  a  new  world  bursts  upon  us. 
The  flow  of  the  waters,  diverted  from  the  mountain 
streams  for  irrigation,  is  everywhere  heard  like 
music.  You  exchange  sterility  for  verdure  of  liv- 
ing green ;  the  orange,  lemon,  and  fig  trees  every- 
where abound,  filled  with  bloom  or  fruit ;  the  air 
is  fragrant  with  flowers ;  beautiful  villas  setting  back 
from  the  road,  surrounded  by  gardens,  begin  to 
appear. 


/ 


)l 


126 


GRANADA^ 


Through  this  wealth  of  living  verdure,  the  road, 
broad  and  lined  with  trees,  makes  its  way  up  to 
Granada,  like  the  approach  to  the  city  of  a  great 
king.  The  night  is  tipon  us  before  we  reach  the 
gates  of  the  city.  Two  old  Moorish  towers  frown 
from  above  tie  gates  as  we  enter  through  the  mass- 
ive walls.  We  wind  our  way  through  the  narrow  and 
dimly-lighted  streets  until  we  reach  the  eastern  side 
o£  the  city,  and  ascend  through  a  grand  avenue  of 
trees  to  the  Hotel  Washington  Irving,  which  is 
jist  wlimil  the  walls  of  the  ancient  fortress  of  the 
Alhambra. 

4NMIVERSARY  OF  THE  TAKING  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA. 

We  arrived  at  the  Hotel  Washington  Irving  on  the 
first  day  of  January.  Here  Mr.  Irving  lived  until 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the 
Alhambra,  which  he  most  graphically  describes  in 
his  tales. 

We  were  awakened  on  the  morning  of  the  second 
of  January  by  the  ringing  of  all  the  bells  in  the  city 
below  us,  and  by  the  bell  on  the  tower  of  the  Al- 
hambra above  us.  The  streets  were  filled  with  peo- 
ple shouting  and  laughing  as  if  some  grand  occasion 
had  dawned.  We  soon  found  that  the  2d  of  Janu- 
ary, 1492,  was  the  day  on  which  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  received  the  keys  of  Granada  from  Boabdil, 


GRANADA, 


127 


I 


entered  the  gates  of  the  Alhambra  and  planted 
their  standard  on  its  battlements  after  a  weary  siege 
of  ten  years.  The  great  object  of  their  lives  was  ac- 
complished on  that  day.  They  had  expelled  the 
Moor,  who  for  eight  centuries  had  held  the  fairest 
portions  of  Spain.  The  Alhambra  was  the  last 
stronghold.  Internal  dissensions  among  the  Moors, 
and  gunpowder  and  cannon  on  the  part  of  the 
Christians,  had  done  the  work.  It  was  a  holy  war, 
which  enlisted  the  chivalry  of  Europe.  The  fight- 
ing Cardinal  Mendoza  was  the  first  to  plant  the 
flag  of  Isabella  upon  the  walls  of  the  Alhambra. 
The  second  day  of  January  has  ever  since  been 
a    gala    day  in  Granada.    It    is    their   Fourth   of 

July, 

On  this  day  there  is  a  grand  celebration  at  the 
cathedral  in  this  city,  after  which  all  the  people,  from 
city  and  country,  rich  and  poor,  men,  women,  and 
children,  soldiers,  peasants,  artisans,  resort  to  the  Al- 
hambra, and  spend  the  day  in  gayety  and  frolic.  We 
followed  the  crowd  early  in  the  morning  down  from 
the  hotel  through  a  beautiful  grove  of  elm  trees — 
brought  from  England  and  presented  by  the  Duke  of 
Wellington— into  the  city  and  into  the  cathedral,  not 
knowing  what  we  were  to  see.  Soon  we  heard  music 
without  and  the  moving  of  a  crowd.  Through  the 
great  doors  the  band  filed  into  the  cathedral,  playing 
a  grand  march,  followed  by  the  Archbishop,  clad  in 


128 


GRANADA. 


robes  wrought  in  gold  by  Queen  Isabella  for  the 
grand  Cardinal  Mendoza ;  after  him  came  a  long  line 
of  the  clergy  of  the  cathedral,  covered  with  their 
sacerdotal  vestments ;  then  came  the  alcalde  and  the 
members  of  the  city  government ;  and,  lastly,  one  of 
the  seven  captains-general  of  the  army  of  Spain,  with 
a  company  of  soldiers  completely  armed  and  in 
splendid  uniform. 

The  alcalde,  or,  as  we  would,  say,  the  mayor,  car- 
ried in  his  hands  the  ancient  flag  of  Isabella,  made  of 
yellow  silk,  with  the  arms  of  Castile  inwrought  upon 
it.    The  grand  procession,  at  the  sound  of  martial 
music  ringing    through  the  lofty  arches,  marched 
down  the  great  aisle   to  the  high  altar,  the  host 
being  borne  before  it.     The  clergy  advanced  up  to 
the  platform  on  which  the  high  altar  stands,  and 
which  extends  across  the  cathedral.  They  take  their 
seats  on  each  side  of  the  altar;  the  alcalde,  bearing 
the  flag,  also  ascends  the  platform  and  stands  before 
the  high  altar,  without  uncovering  his  head.    After 
a  short  prayer  and  some  incense,  the  procession,  at 
the  sound  of  music,  preceded  by  the  elevated  host, 
before  which  every  one  kneels,  enter  by  a  side  door 
from  the  cathedral  into  the  chapel  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella.    This  is  a  beautiful,  large  chapel,  highly 
decorated,  extending  across  one  end  of  which  is  the 
high  altar.     Immediately  in  front  of  the  high  altar, 
and  in  the  body  of  the  chapel,  stands  the  mausoleum 


GRANADA. 


129 


of   Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and  of  their  daughter 
Crazy  Jane  and  her  husband,  Philip  the  Handsome. 
Their  tombs  consist  of  a  marble  erection,  most  ele- 
gantly wrought,  about  six  feet  high,  and  large  enough 
on  the  top  for  the  recumbent  statues  of  these  four 
monarchs.    The  marble  figures  are  said  to  be  good 
portraits.     Ferdinand  looks  treacherous  and  severe, 
as  he  was ;  and  by  his  side,  lies  Isabella,  looking 
serene,  true,  and  pure,  as  she  was.     The  faces  of 
Crazy  Jane  and  her  inconstant  husband  are  averted 
from  each  other.     Underneath  this  mausoleum,  in  a 
little  room  below,  lie  the  mortal  remains  of  these 
illustrious  personages.     The  procession  comes  filing 
in  and  passes  the  marble  statues.     The  clergy  pro- 
ceed to  the  platform  as  before  and  take  their  seats ; 
the  alcalde  and  the  civic  authorities  also  ascend  the 
platform ;  the  alcalde  hands  the  flag  to  the  youngest 
of  them  ;  the  music  strikes  up  for  a  moment,  and  he, 
with  his  hat  on,  takes  three  steps  forward  toward  the 
altar,  on  to  the  field  cloth  once  used  by  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella;  he  then  waves  the  flag  three  times 
toward  the  altar ;  the  music  sounds  again,  and  he 
waves  the  flag  three  times  to  the  clergy  ;  the  music 
sounds  again,  and  he  turns  and  advances  toward  the 
dead  king  and  queen  lying  in  marble,  and  waves  the 
flag,  in  solemn  salute,  slowly  and   solemnly  three 
times  toward  them.     It  is  a  most  impressive  scene, 
the  pageant  is  beautiful,  the  'associations  are  inspir- 
6* 


ISO 


GRANADA, 


GRANADA, 


131 


ing.  Drooping  over  ti©  li>i|ibs  are  the  battle  flags 
of  the  warrior  king  and  queen.  The  altar-cloths 
and  priestly  vestments  made  by  Isabella,  her  missal, 
her  sword,  her  crown  and  sceptre,  made  of  gold 
and  silver,  her  jewel  box,  are  also  in  full  sight  on 

this  day. 

The  procession  then,  in  the  same  order,  proceed 
to  the  cathedral  again,  where  a  short  mass  is  said 
and  a  long  oration  pronounced  by  a  priest.    The 
crowd  then  make  their  way  up  the  hill  to  the  gate  of 
the  Alhambra.    We  follow  them  through  the  grand 
archway  called  the  Gate  of  Justice.     On  the  great 
horse-shoe  arch  above  the  gate  is  cut  in  stone  the 
open  hand  as  a  talisman  against  the  "  evil  eye,**  and 
on  an  inner  arch  below  the  hand  is  the  key,  the  sym- 
bol of  power.     Through  this  grand  gateway  we  are 
ushered  into  the  great  Plaza  de  los  Albiges.     The 
whole  plateau  of  the  Alhambra,  all  the  halls,  the 
courts,  the  gardens,  and  the  tower,  were  filled  with  a 
crowd  of  people  from  the  surrounding  vega  and  the 
city,  all  dressed  in  the  picturesque  costumes  of  the 
country,  and  many  of  them  peculiar  to  the  city  or 
village  from  which  they  came.     All  the  ladies  wore 
lace  vails  or  mantillas  on  the  head,  and  the  peasants 
and  poorer  classes  had  silk  handkerchiefs  of  bright 
colors.     Not  a  bonnet  was  to  be  seen      There  was  a 
band  of  music  in  one  of  the  large  plazas.    There 
were  stands  for  the  sale  of  fruits,  sweets,  and  water, 


but  no  wine  was  sold.  There  was  no  sign  of  drunk- 
enness, all  was  hilarity,  singing,  and  laughing.  The 
great  crowd  seemed  to  delight  in  wandering  through 
the  courts,  halls,  chambers,  baths,  and  towers  of  the 
Moorish  palace.  This  is  the  only  day  of  the  year 
when  water  fills  the  fountains  of  the  Alhambra.  The 
little  lakes  in  all  the  courts  were  glistening  with  the 
cool  streams  from  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  Fountain 
of  Lions  was  throwing  forth  its  streams  from  twelve 
open  mouths.  Everywhere  there  was  a  gentle  mur- 
mur of  falling  waters.  Amid  these  scenes  the 
people,  fond  of  the  beautiful,  with  a  taste  for  sensu- 
ous delight,  wandered  till  sunset. 

The  point  of  greatest  attraction  seemed  to  be 
the  Torre  de  la  Vela,  which  is  a  tower  overlooking 
the  city  on  the  extreme  end  of  the  Alhambra.  The 
top  of  this  tower  is  a  large  area  one  hundred  feet 
square.  On  this  tower,  in  the  time  of  the  Moors, 
hung  the  silver  bell  which  was  rung  every  five  min- 
utes during  the  night.  It  was  heard  for  thirty  miles 
across  the  Vega,  and  by  it  was  regulated  the  distri- 
bution of  water  which  irrigated  all  the  lands.  The 
silver  bell  has  gone,  but  another  is  in  its  place. 
Every  boy  had  to  have  a  pull  at  the  rope.  Every 
maiden  who  rings  this  bell  on  this  gala  day  is  sure  of 
a  lover  and  a  husband  within  a  year.  It  is  useless  to 
say,  its  notes  rang  out  one  continuous  peal  from 
morn  till  dewy  eve. 


132 


THE  ALHAMBRA. 


The  day  closed  with  an  entertainment  at 
theatre,  representing  the  taking  of  Granada.  Here 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  with  their  attendants  and 
most  renowned  knights,  all  armed  and  mailed,  ap- 
pear on  one  side,  and  the  Moorish  warriors  on  the 
other.  The  Moor  insults  the  Virgin  and  the  Chris- 
tians the  Great  Prophet,  challenges  are  exchanged, 
and  renowned  knights  engage  in  single  combat.  It 
ends  with  the  delivery  of  the  keys  of  Grenada  by 
Boabdil  to  Isabella.  It  is  a  most  absurd  attempt  to 
portray  the  scenes  and  characters  of  the  great  siege. 

THE  ALHAMBRA. 

The  Alhambra  was  to  Granada  what  the  Acropo- 
lis was  to  Athens,  or  rather  what  the  Citadel  is  to 
Cairo.  It  was  the  castle  to  awe  and  defend  the  city, 
and  also  the  palace  of  its  kings.  The  leading  char- 
acteristics of  the  Moors,  who  built  it,  were  chivalry 
and  sensuality.  The  Alhambra  is  but  the  outward  ex- 
pression of  these  two  qualities.  As  the  architect- 
ure which  adorned  the  Acropolis  was  the  expression 
of  the  taste  and  cultivation  of  the  Athenians,  and  as 
the  grand  old  cathedrals  were  the  expression  of  the 
religious  sentiments  of  awe,  reverence  and  lofty  con- 
ceptions of  the  pious  devotees  who  erected  them, 
so  the  Alhambra  is  the  home  of  a  warlike,  volupt- 
uous and  cultivated  race  of  kings.     Like  the  great 


LA   MANCHA, 


133 


temple  of  Karnac,  it  was  added  to  and  beautified  by 
each  successive  monarch,  until  it  became  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  world  for  its  grace,  beauty  and  extent. 
The  city  of  Granada  has  now  about  75,0CX)  inhabi- 
tants.    Under  the  Moors  it  had  400,000.     It  lies  at 
the  east  end  of  a  valley  or  vega,  which  is  thirty  miles 
long  and  about  twenty-five  miles  wide.     The  city  is 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  on  the  eastern  side  of 
this  amphitheatre.    The  Alhambra  is  built  on  a  spur 
of  these  mountains  as  they  break  down  into  the  val- 
ley.     It  rises  immediately  over  the  city  350  feet. 
The  hill  is  about  one-half  of  a  mile  long,  and  in  its 
broadest  part  750  feet  wide.     It  descends  on  three 
sides  abruptly  into  the  valley  below. 

The  plateau  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  thirty  feet 
high  and  six  feet  thick,  which  in  some  places  is  built 
up  from  the  ravine  below.     The  wall  is  not  built  of 
stone,  but  of  gravel,  tamped  hard,  with  occasionally 
a  course  of  flat  tile.    Sometimes  a  little  lime  is  found 
mixed  with  the  gravel,  but  generally  there  is  none. 
The  walls  have  now  stood   for  six  centuries,  and 
though  they  are  slowly  crumbling  away,  yet  they 
will  stand    in   that  climate  for  centuries  to  come. 
There  is  no  stone  work  in  all  the  walls,  towers  or 
palaces  of  the  Alhambra.     The  plateau  has  been  de- 
scribed in  shape  as  like  a  grand  piano,  or  a  leg  of 
mutton,  with  the  apex  toward  the  city.     In  the  rear 
it  joins  itself  to  the  rising  hills,  which  stretch  east- 


134 


LA  MANCHA. 


ward  and  upward  until  they  culminate  in  the  snowy- 
heights  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  I2,cxx)  feet  above 
the  sea.  Standing  above  the  walls  at  different  points 
were  once  fifteen  or  twenty  large,  square  towers, 
each  large  enough  for  a  prison,  or  the  residence  of 
a  Sultana  and  her  family,  or  a  troop  of  soldiers. 
The  French,  in  1808,  blew  up  eight  of  these. 

If  we  ascend  one  of  these,  the  Torre  de  la  Vela, 
which  rises  directly  over  the  city,  on  the  very  sum- 
mit of  the  fortress,  we  shall  get  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  Alhambra,  the  city,  the  vega,  and  the  surround- 
ing mountains.  As  we  look  down  on  the  Alhambra 
from  this  height  we  are  surprised  at  the  insignificant 
exterior  of  the  buildings.  They  are  all  diminutive, 
most  of  lliem  one  story  high,  and  none  over  two. 
The  roof,  covered  with  the  pottery  tile  of  the  coun- 
try, gives  them  the  appearance  of  ordinary  dwel- 
lings. This  common  and  even  shabby  external 
appearance  to  buildings  which  are  most  gorgeously 
fitted  within,  is  frequently  seen  in  Eastern  cities. 
The  same  thing  will  be  noticed  in  Cairo  and  Damas- 
cus, where  the  approach  to  the  finest  residences  is 
often  through  a  barn-yard. 

The  western  part  of  the  Alhambra,  looking  down 
on  the  city,  was  devoted  to  barracks  for  soldiers  and 
large  squares  for  the  exercising  of  troops,  while  the 
magazines  and  tanks  for  water  were  built  under- 
neath.   This  end  of  tie  Alhambra  was  separated 


LA   MANCHA. 


13s 


from  the  grounds  devoted  to  the  royal  residence  by 
a  high  wall.    There  were  formerly  a  winter  and  a 
summer  palace,  and  numerous  mosques  and  other 
buildings.     Ferdinand  and  Isabella  destroyed  many 
of  these  to  make  room  for  churches  and  convents. 
The  winter  palace  was  destroyed  by  Charles  V  to 
make  room  for  a  grand  palace  for  himself,  which  he 
commenced  but  never  finished.     It  is  about  200  feet 
square,  built  of  white  stone,  overloaded  with  orna- 
ment.    Before  the  roof  was  put  on,  the  monarch's 
means  failed,  and  subsequently  an  earthquake  shat- 
tered its  walls  and  gave  it  an  ill  omen. 

The  summer  palace  is  left  standing.     But  for  cent- 
uries it  was  neglected  and  pillaged  by  every  one, 
made  a  pen  for  sheep  and  goats,  and  a  rendezvous 
for  vagrants.     Mr.  Irving  called  the  attention  of  the 
civilized  world  to  this  vandalism,  and  awakened  the 
Spanish  Government  to  save  what  was  left  of  this 
monument  of  the  taste,  wealth  and  luxury  of  a  once 
great  nation.     Now  the  Government  have  an  agent 
here,  Sefior  Contreras,  who  with  great  taste  is  en- 
gaged in  slowly  restoring  the  buildings  to  their  for- 
mer state.     He  is  also  making  a  private  fortune  by 
the  sale  of  models.     Those  who  buy  had  better  pay 
for  them  when  safely  delivered  in  America.    The 
summer  palace  which  now  remains  is  a  series  of  low 
buildings  built  around  patios  or  courts  which  are 
connected  together  by  arches  extending  from  one 


136 


THE  ALHAMBRA, 


THE  ALHAMBRA, 


137 


court  to  another.  Some  of  these  courts  are  large. 
The  Court  of  the  Myrtles  is  150  feet  by  80,  and  has 
a  lake  30  feet  long,  filled  with  fish  and  surrounded 
by  myrtles,  cypress  and  orange  trees. 

The  Court  of  Lions  is  116  feet  long  by  (>6  feet 
wide,  with  the  famous  fountain  of  the  twelve  mar- 
ble lions  in  the  centre.  Others  are  much  smaller, 
filled  milt  (Jfange  trees,  flowers  and  fountains. 
Around  these  courts  are  corridors,  beautifully  paved, 
supported  liy  small,  graceful,  palm-like  marble  pil- 
lars. Sometimes  two  or  three  columns  stand  to- 
gether. Around  the  Court  of  Lions  are  128  of  these 
columns.  Opening  on  these  corridors  and  courts 
are  the  principal  rooms  of  the  palace,  generally  on 
the  ground  floor.  The  arched  doorways,  and  the 
graceful  columns  supporting  them,  are  each  a  picture 
of  elegance.  In  many  cases  the  eye  catches  a 
charming  glimpse,  through  a  long  vista  under  arches 
supported  by  the  palm-like  columns,  from  one  court 
to  another  and  another,  filled  with  flowers,  trees 
and  fountains.  The  exterior  walls  being  six  feet 
thick,  the  windows  appear  like  port-holes.  Often 
the  view  through  them  reveals  a  lovely  picture  of 
green  hillsides,  far  across  the  valley  and  to  the  dis- 
tant mountains. 

Many  large  public  rooms  open  on  these  various 
courts,  such  as  the  Hall  of  Judgment,  the  Hall  of 
the  Abencerrages,  the  Hall  of  the  Two  Sisters,  the 


/ 


Hall   of  the   Ambassadors.       Then   there   are   the 
rooms  of  the  harem,  the  baths,  the  mosque,  the  pri- 
vate rooms  of  the  king  and  the  boudoir  of  the  Sul- 
tana.    One  of  the  most  remarkable  things  about  the 
Alhambra   is   the    exquisite    ornamentation  of  the 
rooms  and  corridors.     The  floors  are  of  variegated 
tile,  and  each  room  wainscoted  four  feet  from  the 
floor  with  tile  of  the  most  brilliant  colors.    The  ceil- 
ings are  vaulted  and  covered  entirely  with   stucco 
work    of    most    beautiful    patterns,    among  which 
are  the  stalactite  and  honey-comb  patterns.     This 
stucco  work  was  put  up  in  blocks,  yet  so  perfectly 
done  that  no  trace  of  the  joining  of  the  blocks  can 
be  seen.     In  the  Hall  of  the  Sisters  there  are  5,(X)0 
of   these   blocks   used    in   the  vaulted    ceiling,  yet 
after   five    centuries    no   imperfection  can  be  seen, 
and  it  has  the  appearance  of  being  one  solid  block 
of  marble.      These  vaulted   ceilings  are  exquisitely 
ornamented   by  colors  of  red,  blue   and  gold,  and 
all  done  with  mathematical  accuracy.     The  capitals 
on  all  the  pillars  were  covered  with  gold,  on  red  or 
blue  ground.     Grace  and  elegance  are  everywhere. 
Beauty  is  the  genius  of  the  place.     There  is  nothing 
massive  or  solid  but  the  exterior  walls  of  the  for- 
.  tress.     As  it  has  been  said,  the  Alhambra  was  made 
to  keep  heat  and  enemies  out,  and  to  keep  women 
in,  and  every  hall,  every  tower,  every  court,  every 
boudoir  has  a  tale  of  love  or  blood  connected  with  it. 


I  Jo 


TJI£  ALHAMBRA, 


BOABDIL  AND  COLUMBUS. 


THE  ALHAMBRA. 


139 


There  are  a  few  places  in  the  world  where  you  can 
stand  and  read  great  events  in  the  history  of  a  na- 
tion with  more  vividness  than  the  pen  of  any  his- 
fbrian  can  describe  them.    The  scenes  of  the  nation's 
glory  and  shame  are  before  your  eyes.     Such  a  place 
is  the  Acropolis  at  Athens ;  such  a  place  is  the  Coli- 
seum of  Rome ;  such  another  is  the  Alhambra.     As 
you  stand  on  the  tower  of  the  citadel  the  most  stir- 
ring  and  adventurous  scenes  of  the  siege  of  Granada 
are  within  view.     The  beautiful  vega  is  before  you, 
surrounded  by  mountains  in  every  direction.     The 
castles  on  their  lofty  peaks,  and  the  defiles  between 
them,  have  been  the  theatres  of  those  thrilling  ad- 
ventures between  Moor  and  Christian,  so  well  de- 
scribed by  dur  own  countrymen— Irving  and  Prescott. 
This  charming  valley— one  of  the  gems  of  Spain, 
and  the  Alhambra— the  last  stronghold  of  the  Moor, 
were  the  prizes  of  their  conflict.    Standing  on  the 
tower  you  can  see  each  of  these  at  a  glance.     The 
grand   amphitheatre,    almost   perfectly  level,   filled 
with  groves  of  olives,  figs  and  oranges ;  with  beautiful 
villas  rising  here  and  there  among  them,  is  seen  at 
a  glance.     The   Darro,  fed   by  the   snows  of  the 
Sierra   Nevada,    meanders  through    the  plain,  and 
artificial  irrigation,  planned  by  the  Moors,  reaches 
every  acre  of  land,  bringing  the  waters  from  the 


mountain  springs.     Here  they  raise  three  and  four 
crops  annually. 

This  second  day  of  January  is  the  anniversary  of 
the  departure  of  Boabdil,  the  last  of  the  Moorish 
kings,  called  by  the  Moors  Boabdil  the  Unlucky. 
On  the  2d  of  January,  1492,  he,  with  his  family  and 
his  mother,  the  famous  Ayeshah,  departed  from  this 
fortress  of  his  forefathers.  On  the  left,  in  the  plain 
by  the  Darro,  you  will  see  the  place  where  he  gave 
up  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  the  keys  of  the  Al- 
hambra ;  and  farther  to  the  south  the  road  winds  to 
the  top  of  a  hill,  which  is  called  "  The  Last  Sigh  of 
the  Moor."  Here  the  dethroned  monarch  turned  to 
view  the  fortress  where  his  ancestors  had  lived  for 
two  hundred  years,  and  the  beautiful  vega  which 
they  had  held  by  their  swords  for  eight  centuries. 
As  he  took  his  last  look  at  this  paradise,  the  home 
of  his  fathers — as  he  saw  the  cross  of  the  Christian 
floating  over  the  walls  of  the  Alhambra — as  he  was 
forever  turning  his  face  from  them  toward  the  sands 
of  Africa — no  wonder  he  wept.  As  he  had  lost  it  all 
by  his  folly,  no  wonder  his  mother  reproached  him, 
saying,  "  You  do  well  to  weep  like  a  woman  for  that 
you  did  not  defend  like  a  man."  Fallen  like  Luci-. 
fer,  he  turned  from  the  paradise  inherited  from  his 
ancestors,  and  purchased  by  their  valor,  to  the  arid 
iie^erts  from  whence  they  came  eight  centuries  be- 
fore.    He  died  at  Fez,  in  Morocco,  killed  in  a  skir- 


I40 


THE  ALHAMBRA. 


THE  ALHAMBRA, 


141 


mish  between  certain  petty  tribes.  Some  of  his 
descendants  are  said  to  be  beggars  at  the  doors  of 
the  mosque  in  Fez  at  this  day. 

While  the  Moor  was  thus  ascending  the  heights 
of  the  Alpujara,    weeping  as  he  went,   there   was 
another  scene  being  enacted  in  the  gorgeous  Alham- 
bra.     Cardinal  Mendoza  had  planted  the  standard  of 
Isabella  on  the  high  walls.   The  great  Gate  of  Justice 
was  flung  wide  open,  and  the  war-worn  veterans  of 
the  Christian  army,  with  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  at 
their    head,   were    filing    through.       King,    queen, 
knights  and  soldiers  range  through  these  fairy-like 
halls,  amazed  at  the  magic  beauty,  such  as  their  eyes 
had  never  seen.    I'he  great  cardinal  erects  the  altar 
in  one  of  the  beautiful  corridors,  and  with  the  king 
and  queen  kneeling  before  him,  solemn  mass  and 
thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God  is  said  for  the  great 
victory  over  the  infidel,  and  that  the  mission  of  their 
lives  is  accomplished.     But  another  scene  was  en- 
acted  in  the  Alhambra  on  this  second  day  of  January, 
1492.    Christopher  Columbus,  an  Italian,  an  enthus- 
iast, was  in  the  court  of  the  queen,  and  had  been  urg- 
ing her  to  commission  him,  under  her  flag,  to  pass 
from  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  across  unknown  seas  to 
look  for  unknown  lands  and  a  way  to  the  Indies.    The 
thoughtful  queen  heard  his  arguments  and  was  in- 
clined to  believe.    But  where  was  the  money  to  come 
from  ?  The  ten  years*  war  had  exhausted  her  treasury. 


Columbus  turned  slowly  away,  and  next  day  de- 
parted to  seek  other  aid.  The  queen  could  look 
out  from  the  lofty  Alhambra  and  trace  his  way 
across  the  vega.  Hardly  had  he  left,  when  her 
heart  smote  her.  Like  a  woman,  but  a  great 
woman,  she  changed  her  mind,  and  in  so  doing 
changed  the  destinies  of  the  world.  She  sent  a 
messenger  in  haste  after  Columbus  to  recall  him. 
Standing  on  the  Alhambra,  about  two  leagues  away, 
you  can  see  a  little  hamlet  called  the  Bridge  of 
Pines,  the  scene  of  many  a  battle  between  Chris- 
tian and  infidel.  Here  the  messenger  overtook 
Columbus.  He  returned,  and  it  is  said  that  in  the 
Hall  of  the  Ambassadors,  or,  as  some  say,  at  Santa 
Fe,  ten  miles  distant,  the  compact  between  him  and 
the  crown  was  signed,  by  which  he  was  to  bear  the 
title  of  Admiral  of  Spain,  become  governor  of  all 
lands  he  should  discover,  and  be  entitled  to  one- 
tenth  of  all  profits  realized.  The  contract  was 
shamefully  broken  by  Ferdinand,  and  the  great  dis- 
coverer was  allowed  to  die  in  poverty,  if  not  dis- 
grace. From  whence  were  the  means  to  defray  the 
expense  of  this  strange  expedition  to  come  ? 

Said  the  noble  queen  to  her  incredulous  husband  : 
"  I  will  pawn  my  jewels  to  raise  the  funds."  Isa- 
bella raised  the  money,  but  it  cost  the  crown  of 
Spain  to  discover  America  only  eighteen  thousand 
dollars.    The  box  in  which  the  jewels  of  the  queen 


142 


THE  ALHAMBRA, 


GRANADA, 


143 


were  kept  is  now  at  the  cathedral  in  Granada.     It  is 
of  silver,  about  one  foot  long,  six  inches  high  and 
six  inches  wide,  with  an  oval  top.     It  is  beautifully 
ornamented  with  animals,  vines  and  flowers,  wrought 
in  raised  gold  and  silver-work.    On  this  anniversary, 
the  second  of  January,  this  box,  with  all  her  other 
personal  effects,  such  as  her  flag,  sword,  prayer-book, 
are  displayed   in  the  royal   chapel  where  she  lies 
buried.     For  a  few  francs  we  were  allowed  to  handle 
them  with  becoming  reverence,  especially  the  box, 
which  once  held  the  jewels  offered  to  be  pledged  for 
the  price  of  the  New  World.     Looking  down  from 
this  tower  over  the  Alhambra,  your  mind  goes  for- 
ward for  twelve  years  from  the  grand  scenes  above 
described.      You   see  across  the  vega  a  sad  and 
mournful   train   slowly   approaching  Granada.      It 
winds  its  way  up  the  heights  and  files  through  the 
gates  of  the  Alhambra,  bearing  the  body  of  the 
great  Queen  to  this  lofty  fortress  as  her  last  resting, 
place.      Twelve  years  more  and  you  see  another 
funeral  cortege  coming  through  the  defiles  of  the 
distant  mountains,  bearing  the  remains  of  Ferdinand 
to  rest  beside  his  queen.    The  Alhambra,  the  scene 
of  their  greatest  triumph,  is  now  their  tomb.    They 
desired  to  be  laid  here  to  their  final  rest. 

In  their  will  a  large  sum  was  left  to  build  a  royal 
chapel  to  support  its  services,  and  to  erect  a 
mausoleum  worthy  of  their  fame.     Their  remains 


rested  in  the  chapel  of  the  Alhambra  until  the  royal 
chapel  and  mausoleum  were  finished,  when  they  were 
removed  to  the  cathedral. 


GRANADA. 

The  Alhambra,  as  a  palace,  was  commenced  in 
1248,  by  Ibn  I'ahmar.  The  word  Alhambra  means 
red,  or  light.  Its  walls  and  towers  at  a  distance 
have  a  reddish  appearance,  and  probably  this  fact 
was  the  origin  of  the  name.  It  would  accommodate 
forty  thousand  troops,  with  ample  provision  for 
water  and  stores  for  a  long  siege. 

The  Spaniards  were  profoundly  thankful  to  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  for  his  great  services  to  them 
in  driving  Napoleon's  troops  from  their  borders. 
They  wished  to  reward  him,  but  without  much  cost 
to  themselves.  They  therefore  offered  him  the 
dilapidated  fortress  of  the  Alhambra.  It  would  have 
been  a  fine  thing  for  them  had  the  Duke  taken  it 
and  spent  millions  in  restoring  it.  But  the  man  who 
conquered  at  Waterloo  was  not  to  be  taken  at  the 
Alhambra.  He  declined  the  generous  offer.  The 
Spaniards  then  most  handsomely  presented  him 
with  a  magnificent  estate  on  the  Vega,  about  ten 
miles  from  Granada,  called  the  Soto  de  Roma.  It 
contains  about  four  thousand  acres  of  land,  and  its 
annual  rental  is  about   $2S,ocx).     This  the   Duke 


144 


GMANADd. 


accepted,  and  the  estate  is  now  held  by  his  family. 
Not  accepting  the  gift  of  the  Alhambra,  he  did 
the  next  best  thing  for  it,  he  sent  thousands  of 
English  elms  to  be  planted  in  the  gardens  to  the 
south  of  the  walls.  Here,  nurtured  by  the  springs 
from  the  mountains,  they  are  now  growing  in  great 
luxuriance.  The  road  from  Granada  to  the  fortress 
winds  up  through  them.  As  far  as  we  have  seen,  this 
is  the  only  grove  of  fine  shade  trees  in  all  Spain. 
Hundreds  of  acres  are  embraced  in  this  park  of 
English  elms.  To  one  accustomed  to  the  verdure 
and  trees  of  America  and  England,  this  is  a  re- 
freshing and  charming  spot,  after  traveling  over 
the  bar^,  tMrown  aiid  feeekss  plains  of  Central 
Spain,  where  you  never  see  a  field  of  grass,  or  a 
shade  tree,  and  never  hear  the  song  of  a  bird. 

Here  in  this  park  is  a  shady  retreat  from  the  heat 
of  the  sun.  The  sound  of  running  waters  is  heard 
all  the  day  long,  and  the  song  of  the  nightingale 
during  the  hours  of  the  night.  The  climate  of 
Granada,  to  one  accustomed  to  the  rigors  of  a  north- 
ern climate,  is  charming.  The  burning  heat  of  a 
southern  latitude,  which  parches  other  parts  of 
Spain,  is  here  moderated  by  a  high  altitude  of  three 
thousand  feet,  and  by  proximity  Iq  the  snow-clad 
tops  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

In  most  seasons  of  the  year,  especially  in  winter, 
the  air  is  balmy  and  bracing,  and  the  clear  azure 


GRANADA, 


145 


above  rivals  the  blue  sky  of  Italy.    The  Vega  is  a 
marvel  of  fertility,  is  always  green,  always  in  bloom, 
and  abounds  in   gardens  and  orchards,  filled  with 
oranges,  figs,  citron,  pomegranates,  and   mulberry. 
Surrounded  by  such  a  country,  Granada  is  therefore 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  cities  in  Spain.    The 
Moors  and  Jews  have  stamped  a  commercial  char- 
acter upon  the  city.   One  street,  the  Zacatin,  is  filled 
with  Moorish  shops  or  stalls,  like  a  bazar  in  Cairo, 
where   goldsmiths  and  silversmiths  and  dealers  in 
silks  and  fancy  articles  display  their  wares.     Here 
the  Moorish  doors,  arches,  windows  and  ornaments 
are  seen  in  all  the  houses  as  they  appeared  four 

centuries  ago. 

The  Cathedral  of  Granada,  although  compara- 
tively modern,  and  a  departure  from  the  Gothic 
style,  is  a  noble  structure.  It  was  commenced  in 
1529.  Located  in  the  city  which  witnessed  the 
grand  triumph  of  the  Christian  arms  over  the  infidel, 
and  the  deliverance  of  Spain  from  a  foreign  foe, 
patronized  by  Charles  V  and  Philip  II,  aided  by 
gold  of  America  and  money  extorted  from  exiled 
Moors  and  Jews,  it  was  reared  as  a  magnificent 
temple  to  the  Virgin  Mother,  and  as  a  final  resting- 
place  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  There  are  five 
lofty  naves  over  which  the  beautifully  groined  roof 
stretches,  supported  by  massive  piers,  each  composed 
of  four  Corinthian  columns,  united  back  to  back. 
7 


146 


GRANADA. 


A  magnificent  dome  rises  over  the  high  altar, 
painted  in  white  and  gold,  and  in  which  are  win' 
dows  of  colored   glass,  which  throw  down  a  soft 
light  on  the  altar  and  coro   below.     Kneeling  on 
each  side  of  the  high  altar  are  the  marble  statues  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella.    Adorning  the  high  altar 
are  the  works  of  Alonzo  Cano,  one  of  the  brightest 
geniuses  of  Spain.     His  wood-carvings  of    sacred 
subjects  are  unsurpassed,  especially  those  of  the  Cru- 
cifixion.    He  was  also   a  great    painter.     On  the 
walls  over  the  high  altar  are  some  of  his  pictures, 
relating  to  the  Virgin,  the  Annunciation,  the  Visit- 
ation.    Granada  was  the  home   of  Alonzo   Cano. 
He  was  born    here   in   1601,   died   here    in   1664, 
and  lies  buried   under  the  coro   in  this  cathedral. 
He  obtained   such  celebrity  in  painting,  sculpture 
and  architecture,  that  he  has  been  called  the  Michael 
Angelo  of  Spain.    Almost  every  cathedral  in  Spain 
is  adorned  by  some  work  of  sculpture  or  painting 
iitJm  the  hand  of  this  great  master. 

But  the  gem  of  this  cathedral  is  the  royal  chapel 
which  adjoins  it.  A  fund  was  k||  in  the  will  of  Fer- 
dinand and  Isabella  for  the  support  of  this  chapel, 
which  is  now  invested  in  the  lands  of  the  Vega.  On 
each  side  of  the  high  altar  are  portraits  of  the  king 
and  queen,  carved  in  wood,  giving  a  good  idea  of 
their  appearance  and  costumes;  while  back  of  their 
kneeling  figures,  carved  also  in  wood,  is  a  very  curi- 


GRANADA, 


H7 


ous  representation  of  the  conquest  of  Granada  and 
the  delivery  of  the  keys  by  Boabdil.     But  the  great- 
est attraction  in  this  chapel   is  the   grand  marble 
mausoleum  before  the  high  altar.     It  is  composed 
of  two  sepulchres  side  by  side,  on  one  of  which,  in 
life  size,  sleep  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and  on  the 
other  their  daughter  Crazy  Jane  and  her  husband, 
Philip  the  Handsome.     You  may  descend  beneath 
these  to  the  tomb  below  and  stand  beside  the  rude 
iron-bound  coffins  which  contain  all  that  remains  of 
so  much  royalty.     Here  also  is  the  coffin  of  Prince 
Miguel,  the  eldest  son  of  Crazy  Jane,  and  who,  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  his 
horse  near  Granada.     There  is  a  fascination  about 
this  little  tomb.     These  five  iron-bound  coffins  tell 
strange  and  varied  tales  of  human  greatness  and 
human  sorrow.     Charles  V  standing  over  his  grand- 
parents, his   parents,  and   his   elder  brother,  said: 
"  How  small  a  place  to  contain  so  much  greatness ! " 
But  all  the  greatness  lies  in  the  character  of  the 
great  queen  who  rests  here.  Her  reign  is  the  bright- 
est chapter  in  the  history  of  Spain,  and  her  name 
the  brightest  in  the  list  of  her  rulers.     She  died  far 
away  at  Medina  del  Campo,  near  Valladolid,  but  at 
her  request  they  bore  her  here  as  her  last  resting- 
place.     In  the  Museo  at  Madrid  is  a  grand  picture 
by  Gogo  of  the  drawing  of  the  will  of  the  queen  on 
her  death-bed.     The  king  sits  by  her  side,  his  long 


I   • 


148 


GRANADA. 


I 


\idi\T  flowing  on  his  shoulders ;  the  notary  sits  at  a 
desk  before  her ;  the  clergy  and  her  household  are 
gathered  around  the  foot  of  the  bed.  Bolstered  up 
by  pillows,  Isabella  lies,  her  pale  face  the  picture  of 
saintly  resignation  and  queenly  dignity,  dictating 
her  last,  dying  requests.  To  this  little  tomb,  a  few 
years  since,  came  the  ex-Queen  Isabella.  Here  she 
said  mass,  here  she  opened  the  coffin  of  her  re- 
nowned ancestor  and  gazed  weeping  on  her  face. 
Did  she  weep  that  the  descendant  of  such  an  illus- 
trious monarch  inherited  so  little  of  her  purity, 
dignity  and  glory  ?  If  so,  well  might  she  weep.  If 
shame  could  ever  mantle  a  woman's  cheek,  it  would 
be  here.  While  looking  on  the  face  of  the  embalmed 
dead,  Queen  Isabel  II  might  well  ask  herself.  What 
was  she,  and  what  am  I  ? 

ANDALUSIA. 

Our  route  will  now  take  us  %  rail  to  Cordova, 
which  lies  north-west  of  Granada  about  eighty  miles, 
but  by  fie  railroad  it  is  140  miles.  We  go  south- 
west about  seventy  miles  in  order  to  pass  the  Sierra 
Susanna,  which  hems  in  the  Vega  on  the  northerly 
side.  Every  foot  of  this  famous  valley  has  been 
fought  over  by  Moor  and  Christian  again  and  again. 
Here  encamped  the  armies  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella 
for  years  during  the  famous  siege  of  Granada. 

At  Boabdilla  we  sifuck  the  road  from  Cordova 


ANDALUSIA, 


149 


to  Malaga,  and  from  thence  we  go  north  about  80 
miles  to  Cordova. 

Andalusia  embraces  the    south-western   part  of 
the  Peninsula.     Of  all  Spain  this  is  the  land  of  ro- 
mance.    In  its  climate,  people  and  history,  it  differs 
from  other  parts  of  the  country.     Sheltered  on  the 
north  from  wintry  winds  by  the  lofty  range  of  the 
Sierra  Morena,  and  on  the  south  by  the  mountains 
of  Ronda  from  the  burning  blasts  from  Africa,  its 
plains  and  valleys  are  the  most  charming  and  fruitful 
of  all  Spain.    They  abound  in  vines,  olives,  orange 
groves,  and  palms.     Its  shores  are  washed  by  the 
Atlantic,  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  and  the  Mediter- 
ranean.    The  Guadalquiver,  the  only  navigable  river 
in  Spain,  flows  through  a  wide,  rich  valley.     On  its 
banks  are  Seville  and  Cordova,  once  cities  of  renown 
in  learning  and  in  the  arts,  delightful  residences  in  win- 
ter, spring  and  autumn ;  while  Ronda  and  Granada, 
high  up  in  their  mountain  fastnesses,  furnish  a  de- 
lightful retreat  from  the  heats  of  summer.     Gibral- 
tar,  Malaga  and  Cadiz  are  its  seaports.     Of  all  the 
Spaniards,  the  Andalusians  are  the  most  frank,  open- 
hearted,    gallant   and   joyous.     They   are   fond   of 
amusement,  poetry  and  the  dance,  and  are  in  man- 
ners the  opposite  of  the  haughty  and  reserved  Cas- 
tilian.    They  are  a  gay,  pleasure-loving,  labor-hating 
race,  thrusting  all  care  from  to-day  upon  to-morrow. 
They  are  the  most  picturesque  in  dress,  most  gallant 


ISO 


CORDO  VA. 


and  daring.  The  men  wm  tall  and  well-formed,  and 
the  women  of  great  symmetry  and  queenly  bearing 
in  their  walk.  Little  labor  is  required  for  subsistence 
here.  The  climate  is  enervating,  and  so  all  the  habits 
of  the  people  seem  to  be  directed  to  taking  life  in 
the  easiest  possible  manner — to  getting  the  most 
pleasure  with  the  least  work. 

Our  travels  will  take  us  by  rail  from  Granada  to 
Cordova,  Seville,  Cadiz,  and  from  thence  by  sea 
tlirotigi  the  Slwili  to  Gibraltar  and  to  Malaga.  All 
these  cities  are  Moorish  in  their  general  character. 


CORDOVA. 

Cordova  is  situated  on  the  Giiadalquiver,  above 
navigation.  It  was  once  a  famous  Roman  city,  con- 
tended for  by  the  armies  of  Caesar  and  Pompey. 
Here  were  born  the  two  Senecas  and  Lucan.  Even 
then  it  was  a  city  renowned  for  its  high  culture  and 
intelligence.  When  the  Moors,  in  711,  captured 
Spain,  Cordova  was  made  their  capital.  Under  their 
rule  it  became  a  most  renowned  seat  of  learning,  and 
the  arts  and  sciences  flourished  here  as  nowhere  else 
in  Europe,  in  the  ninth  and  tenth  centuries.  In  756 
the  Moors  of  Spain  declared  themselves  independ- 
ent of  the  kalif  of  Damascus,  and  proclaimed  their 
own  ruler  kalif.  It  then  contained  about  one  million 
of  inhabitants.    Now  it  is  an  inland  city,  »vith  forty- 


CORDOVA, 


151 


three  thousand  inhabitants,  and  dependent  upon  the 
surrounding  country  for  its  business,  as  no  large  ves- 
sels can  come  up  the  Guadalquiver  higher  than  Se- 
ville. It  lies  in  a  rich,  extensive  valley,  filled  with 
groves  of  palm  and  olives,  bounded  by  a  high  range 
of  mountains  on  the  north.  I  know  of  no  place  in 
Spain  where  you  are  not  in  close  proximity  to  a 
range  of  mountains.  The  city  is  surrounded  by  old 
Moorish  walls,  and  the  high  hills  back  of  the  city  are 
crowned  with  monasteries  standing  out  among  the 

olive  groves. 

The  Guadalquiver  flows  rapidly  by  the  city, 
spanned  by  an  old  Roman  bridge.  The  centre  of 
attraction  in  Cordova  now  is  the  cathedral,  which 
was  once  a  Moorish  mosque.  It  is  almost  the  only 
structure  left  in  Spain  which  has  been  saved  from 
the  reforming  or  destroying  hand  of  Christians.  This 
mosque  was  begun  in  786.  The  builder  followed 
the  plan  of  the  great  mosque  at  Damascus.  It  was 
the  third  mosque  as  to  sanctity  in  the  world.  It  covers 
an  area  of  400  by  350  feet.  Like  most  Eastern  build- 
ings, it  is  low,  the  roof,  only  35  feet  high,  is  almost 
flat,  and  is  supported  by  1,096  columns  of  all  colors 
and  sizes,  of  jasper,  porphyry,  verd-antique,  and  many 
varieties  of  beautiful  marbles.  The  Moors  obtained 
them  by  plundering  other  and  distant  cities  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  columns  of  St.  Sophia  at  Con- 
stantinople were  gathered  from  all  the  famous  Gre- 


152 


CORDOVA. 


cian  temples.  These  columns  were  brought  from 
Nismes  and  Narbonne,  in  France ;  from  Seville  and 
Tarragona  in  Spain ;  from  Carthage  and  other  cities 
in  Africa,  and  some  from  Constantinople.  They  all 
differ  in  size,  length  and  color.  As  the  Mohamme- 
dans had  a  passion  for  plundering  other  temples  to 
adorn  their  own,  uniformity  was  not  considered. 

The  maksurah  of  the  mosque,  or  the  seat  of  the 
kalif,  is  still  preserved,  and  also  the  beautifully-orna- 
mented recess  where  the  Koran  was  kept.  The 
mosque  is  built  within  an  immense  inclosure,  the 
walls  of  which  are  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet  high  and 
six  feet  thick.  After  passing  this  outer  wall  through 
a  grand  Moorish  archway,  you  enter  the  Court  of 
Oranges,  filled  with  orange  trees,  having  a  large 
fountain  and  lake  for  ablution  in  the  centre  of  it. 
Such  a  court  is  common  to  all  mosques  in  the  East. 
Across  and  beyond  this  court  is  the  entrance  to  the 
cathedral.  We  must  ascend  the  belfry  tower,  from 
which  we  have  a  grand  view  of  the  city,  the  distant 
mountains,  and  the  river,  stretching  far  away  to 
the  west  through  the  green  valley. 

From  this  point  you  look  down  into  the  gardens 
of  the  city  and  into  the  courts  of  the  houses,  paved 
and  filled  with  flowers  and  orange  trees.  The  cathe- 
dral below  you  looks  like  a  village  of  low  buildings 
covered  with  tile,  and  gives  no  indication  of  the 
beauty  within.    One  object  in  the  distance  attracts 


CORDOVA. 


153 


\ 


your  attention.  It  is  a  massive  bridge  across  the 
swift  river.  Its  arches  look  a  little  irregular,  for 
they  have  stood  for  twelve  centuries  on  foundations 
laid  in  the  swift  current  by  the  Romans.  This  cathe- 
dral is  the  finest  and  most  complete  specimen  of 
Mohammedan  architecture  in  Europe.  But  there  is 
one  thing  to  mar  the  unity  of  the  grand  structure. 
In  1623  the  Bishop,  Alonzo  Manrique,  not  satisfied 
with  the  low  roof  of  this  immense  mosque,  attempted 
to  add  to  it  by  building  up  from  the  centre  a  coro, 
grand  in  itself,  and  beautifully  ornamented  and  rising 
into  a  lofty  dome.  Charles  V  well  described  this 
change  when  he  said  to  the  Bishop:  "You  have 
built  here  what  you  or  any  one  might  have  built 
anywhere  else  ;  but  you  have  destroyed  what  was 
unique  in  the  world." 

Seventy  years  were  employed  in  building  this 
coro.  It  has  109  stalls  for  the  choir  and  clergy,  and 
over  every  stall  are  most  beautiful  carvings  in 
wood,  illustrating  Scripture  scenes  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments,  beginning  with  Adam  and  Eve. 
The  wood  is  mahogany,  and  some  of  the  scenes 
have  fifteen  figures  in  relief,  most  exquisitely  done. 
All  the  sides  of  this  lofty  coro  are  most  elaborately 
wrought  for  fifty  feet  with  life-size  figures  of  the 
Saviour  and  the  Virgin  Mary  exalted  above  all. 

The  immense  number  of  columns  ranged  over 
this  great  space  of  400  feet  by  350  gives  the  singular 


154 


SE  VILLE. 


appearance  of  aisles  running  in  every  direction 
They  form  nineteen  longitudinal  and  twenty-nine 
transverse  aisles,  and  look  in  the  dim  light  like  a 
forest  of  precious  marbles,  jasper  and  porphyry. 

SEVILLE. 

Of  all  the  cities  of  Spain,  Seville  is  the  most  at- 
tractive if  we  disregard  historical  associations.  Built 
by  the  Moors,  adapted  to  a  warm  climate  and  a  life 
of  ease,  it  retains  all  the  characteristics  of  that 
luxurious  people  without  signs  of  decay.  Situated 
on  the  Guadalquiver,  at  the  head  of  navigation,  it 
has  sufficient  commerce  to  give  to  the  inhabitants 
an  air  of  activity  and  prosperity,  and  the  advantages 
of  business  and  wealth.  There  is  an  enterprise  and 
life  here  which  is  seen  nowhere  else  except  in  Barce- 
lona and  Malaga.  Most  of  the  streets  are  narrow 
and  irregular,  but  well  paved  and  cleanly,  and  the 
houses  high.  But  modern  ideas  seem  here  to  be 
gaining  ground,  for  they  are  widening  many  of  the 
streets  and  opening  squares.  Many  fine  carriages 
are  seen,  and  good  cabs  can  be  hired.  Along  the 
river  for  two  miles  a  magnificent  stone  quay  is  built 
twenty  feet  above  low-water  mark.  And  here  may 
be  seen  steamers  and  ships  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  In  the  winter  freshets  the  river  rises  thirty 
or  forty  feet  and  overflows  the  whole  country,  and 


SEVILLE, 


155 


' 


the  city  also.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  it  had  rained 
twenty-four  days  successively,  and  we  found  boats 
ready  for  use  in  the  public  squares,  and  the  doors 
of  the  houses  opening  on  the  street  walled  up  for 
two  feet  to  keep  out  the  water  which  was  expected 
to  flood  them.  The  city  is  circular,  and  a  wall, 
about  five  miles  in  extent,  surmounted  by  sixty-six 
towers,  surrounds  it,  and  separates  it  from  the  sub- 
urbs, which  are  laid  out  in  beautiful  gardens.  Most 
of  the  houses  were  built  by  the  Moors  centuries  ago. 
They  are  ornamented  with  pretty  little  bowers  and 
windows,  or  little  balconies,  built  out  like  bay  win- 
dows, where  a  glimpse  of  the  street  may  be  had, 
and  the  cool  evening  air  enjoyed. 

They  are  invariably  built  around  a  patio  or  court,  in 
the  centre  of  which  is  a  marble  fountain  surrounded 
by  trees,  plants,  flowers  and  statuary.  These  courts 
are  generally  paved  with  marble  and  wainscoted 
for  two  or  three  feet  high  with  the  beautiful  colored 
tile  of  different  patterns.  The  front  door  of  every 
house  opens  into  a  small  vestibule,  and  between  this 
vestibule  and  the  court  is  an  open-work  iron  door, 
so  that  you  can  look  in  to  the  court  of  every  house 
from  the  street  as  you  pass.  The  front  door  of 
every  house  is  always  open,  and  thus  you  have  a 
succession  of  pretty  pictures  as  you  walk  the  street. 
The  size  of  the  court  and  the  beauty  of  its  decora- 
tion indicate  the  character  of  the  house  and  the 


IS6 


SEVILLE, 


SEVILLE, 


iS7 


wealth  of  its  occupant.  The  windows  of  the  house, 
which  open  on  the  street,  are  protected  by  an  iron 
railing,  where  the  young  ladies  may  safely  sit  during 
the  evening  and  listen  to  the  vows  and  protestations 
of  their  cloaked  lovers  in  the  street  below. 

The  court  is  the  parlor  of  the  house.     Here,  in 
warm  weather  the  family  sit  amid  trees  and  flowers, 
and  as  their  rooms  all  open  on  it,  they  take  their 
siesta  ift  fie  middle  of  the  day,  lulled  to  sleep  by 
the  music  of  the  flowing  fountains.     This  court  is 
open  to  the  sky.     |f|  aimmer  they  draw  a  covering 
over  the  top  to  keep  out  the  sun  and  the  hot  air ; 
otherwise  the  heat  would  be  unendurable.     Every 
story  of  the  house  has  a  gallery  running  around  this 
court,  and  all  the  rooms  open  on  this  gallery  and 
court.    The  lower  stories  of  the  house  are  occupied 
by  the  family  in  summer  because  they  are  cooler, 
the  upper  stories  in  the  winter  in  order  to  escape 
the  dampness.     This  court,  which  you  see  as  you 
pass  the  door,  this  glimpse   of  flowing   fountains, 
green  trees,  flowers,  marbles  and  variegated  tiling 
of  all  colors,  gives  a  charm  to  every  house  and  an 
air  of  poetry  and  romance  to  the  whole  city.    Could 
it  be  always  spring  or  autumn,  Seville  would  be  %\m 
most  delightful  of  cities  to  live  in.  There  is  a  happy 
joyousness  about  the  people  in  contrast  with  the 
solemnity  of  the  Toledaans. 
Seville  has  always  been  the  home  of  artists  and 


scholars.  One  of  the  largest  universities  and  one  of 
the  finest  libraries  of  Spain  are  located  here.  Here 
were  born  Velazquez  and  Murillo.  The  latter  spent 
his  life  here,  and  some  of  his  greatest  works  are  still 
preserved  here  in  the  cathedral,  the  Museo  and  the 
Caridad.  The  most  celebrated  bull-fights  are  held 
here,  and  the  finest  animals  for  this  national  sport 
are  raised  near  here.  The  bull-ring  of  Seville  will 
accommodate  12,000  people,  and  the  most  skilful 
fighters  are  found  here.  The  religious  shows  of 
Seville  are  unsurpassed,  even  by  Rome.  The  pro- 
cessions in  Holy  Week  and  on  saints'  days  are  some- 
thing unique.  There  is  more  of  the  imposing  pa- 
geant of  the  Catholic  Church,  more  superstitious  rev- 
erence for  the  host  and  the  images  borne  through 
the  streets  with  great  pomp  and  display,  than  in  any 
other  city  of  Europe.  There  are  many  semi-religi- 
ous clubs  of  young  men  who  join  in  these  displays 
on  holy  days.  The  clergy  of  the  city  are  numerous, 
of  whom  132  are  connected  with  the  cathedral. 
Their  vestments,  wrought  in  gold,  are  marvels  of 
richness  and  beauty. 

The  grandest  pageants  of  the  year  are  in  Holy 
Week,  when  the  whole  city  is  given  up  to  a  holy 
revelry  and  religious  jollity.  During  this  week  the 
host  is  borne  through  the  streets  attended  by  hun- 
dreds of  the  clergy  in  their  splendid  robes,  blazing 
in  gold  and  jewels.    The  host  is  placed  in  the  cele- 


,1 


158 


SEVILLE, 


brated  Custodia,  which  is  a  silver  tower  formed  after 
the  model  of  the  Giralda,  the  famous  tower  of  the 
cathedral.  It  is  of  solid  silver,  about  fourteen  feet 
high,  and  weighs  hundreds  of  pounds.  This  Cus- 
todia is  borne  through  the  city  on  the  shoulders  of 
men.  It  is  then  returned  to  the  cathedral,  where  it 
is  elevated  on  what  is  called  the  Monumefito,  which 
is  an  immense  wooden  structure  or  temple,  in  the 
form  of  a  cross,  which  is,  during  Holy  Week,  erected 
on  the  pavement  of  the  cathedral,  over  the  grave  of 
Ferdinand  Columbus,  the  son  of  the  discoverer.  It 
reaches  nearly  to  the  arch  of  the  nave.  When  thus 
erected  and  lighted  up,  with  the  lofty  silver  Custodia 
blazing  at  the  top,  and  shedding  its  light  on  the 
thousands  who  crowd  the  aisles  of  this  immense 
cathedral,  the  scene  surpasses  the  wonders  of  fairy 
land. 

SEVILLE  CATHEDRAL. 

Spain  is  noted  for  her  magnificent  cathedrals,  but 
of  them  all,  that  of  Seville  is  the  grandest.  A  great 
cathedral  is  the  highest  conception  of  modern  art, 
and  the  Catholic  Church  has  the  honor  of  erecting 
them  in  almost  every  country.  The  reflection  has 
been  made  against  Protestantism  that  it  builds  no 
great  temples  in  honor  of  God.  This  is  true  ;  and  it 
is  also  true  that  no  more  of  these  grand  edifices  will 
ever  be  built  by  Protestants  or  Catholics.    The  con- 


SEVILLE, 


159 


ditions  necessary  to  produce  them  are  gone  from  the 
world,  never  to  return. 

1st.  Royal  authority  and  royal  revenues  are  not 
under  the  control  of  the  clergy,  as  in  past  centuries. 

2d.  The  clergy  have  not  such  princely  incomes  as 
they  once  had. 

3d.  The  superstitious  element,  by  which  kings, 
priests  and  aristocracy  sought  to  appease  Divinity 
by  the  works  of  their  hands,  is  wanting. 

4th.  Money,  which  in  rude  ages  went  for  outward 
show  into  stone,  marble,  brass  and  painting,  now 
is  devoted  to  more  practical  good,  such  as  hospi- 
tals, asylums,  infirmaries,  reformatories,  universities, 
schools,  churches,  and  the  like. 

The  practical  age  has  superseded  the  age  of  dis- 
play, the  age  of  reason  that  of  superstitious  devo- 
tion ;  consequently  cathedrals — the  outgrowth  of 
this  spirit — will  never  again  be  built.  For  this  very 
reason  they  are  all  the  more  interesting  to  the  prac- 
tical men  of  the  nineteenth  century.  These  grand 
piles — the  highest  expressions  of  genius — are  them- 
selves storehouses  of  art.  You  must  go  again  and 
again  to  them  to  get  steeped  with  the  impressions  of 
their  true  grandeur,  in  the  same  manner  as  we  need 
to  see  Niagara  often,  before  we  fully  feel  its  sublimity. 
The  mind  cannot  take  it  all  in  at  once,  so  varied, 
vast  and  numerous  are  the  objects  which  go  to 
make  up  the  grand  whole. 


i6o 


mVILLE. 


Stand  in  flie  lofty  doorway  of  one  of  these  grand 
cathedrals;  look  through  the  great  nave  stretching 
before  you  400  or  500  feet,  between  massive  cplumns 
rising  200  or  300  feet  above,  till  they  are  lost  in  the 
graceful  arches  above  your  head,  as  the  trunk  of  a 
noble  tree  grows  into  the  overhanging  branches; 
see  the  soft  rays  of  sunset  shining  through  the 
gorgeous  painted  windows,  and  casting  their  brilliant 
colors  on  the  marble  pavement  below ;  see  the  black- 
robed  priests  flitting  likf  shadows  before  you  in  the 
dim  light ;  hear  the  peal  of  the  great  organ,  resound- 
ing through  the  lofty  aisle ;  iil^e  in,  if  you  can,  all 
the  rich  fund  of  art — statuary,  painting,  carving — 
everywhere  scattered  In  profusion  through  these 
vast  spaces;  fill  your  mind  with  the  great  associ- 
ations which  cluster  here,  the  grand  pageants  which 
have  come  and  gone,  the  mighty  dead  who  sleep 
beneath  its  marble  floors,  and  you  have  some  faint 
idea  of  the  impression  of  a  great  cathedral. 

The  cathedral  of  Seville  is  the  richest  and  largest 
in  Spain.  It  is  built  on  the  site  of  an  ancient 
mosque,  and  on  one  side  of  a  quadrilateral,  which  is 
700  or  800  feet  square,  with  a  covered  walk  running 
entirely  around  it.  Part  of  this  square  is  occupied 
by  a  court  filled  with  orange  trees,  with  a  fountain 
in  the  centre.  Entering  the  quadrilateral  and  cross- 
ing this  court,  you  enter  the  cathedral  by  lofty 
doors.    The  Mtiness  of  the  arches,  the  wide  spaces 


SE  VILLE, 


161 


and  fine  pavements  remind  you  of  St.  Peter's.  Sol- 
emn grandeur  is  the  characteristic  of  this  great  tem- 
ple. It  is  431  feet  long  and  315  wide.  It  has  seven 
aisles.  The  centre  nave  towers  up  145  feet.  The 
pavement  is  of  black  and  white  marble,  and  it  alone 
cost,  two  centuries  since,  the  sum  of  $155,000. 
The  whole  edifice  is  one  mass  of  beautiful  art  work. 
It  is  lighted  by  ninety-three  windows ;  many  of  them 
are  elegantly  painted  and  are  375  years  old.  The 
coro  in  the  centre,  open  to  the  high  altar,  is  one  im- 
mense elaborate  piece  of  wood-carving.  The  archi- 
episcopal  throne  is  high  above  all  other  seats,  and 
faces  the  high  altar,  with  the  seat  of  the  Bishop 
on  one  side  and  of  the  Dean  of  the  Chapter  on  the 

other. 

Before  the  coro,  under  the  pavement  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  cathedral,  is  the  grave  of  Ferdinand 
Columbus,  the  son  of  the  great  Admiral.  A  marble 
slab  over  his  grave  tells  the  deeds  of  his  illustrious 
father  and  his  own,  and  on  each  side  are  depicted 
the  three  little  ships  in  which  Columbus  crossed  the 
Atlantic.  Ferdinand  Columbus  was  himself  a  great 
traveler  and  writer,  and  gave  a  large  library  to  the 
chapter  of  the  cathedral,  which  can  be  seen.  It  con- 
tains many  of  the  curious  writings  of  his  father.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  coro  stands  the  beautiful 
bronze  candlestick,  25  feet  high,  holding  13  candles. 
In  Holy  week,  when  the  "  Miserere  "  is  sung,  twelve 


1 62 


SEVILLE. 


of  them  are  put  out,  representing  the  twelve  Apos- 
tles who  forsook  him,  and  one  left  burning  repre- 
sents the  Virgin.  In  Holy  Week  is  lighted  also 
the  huge  font  candle y  which  is  like  a  pillar  of  marble, 
24  feet  high,  and  weighs  800  pounds. 

Twenty-eight  or  thirty  lateral  chapels  surround 
the  cathedral,  each  having  its  own  altar,  over  which 
the  Virgin  presides.  Many  of  them  have  beautiful 
pictures  from  some  of  the  best  of  the  Spanish  artists. 
In  the  Royal  chapel  lies  St.  Ferdinand,  the  great  war- 
rior, who  took  Seville  frona  |he  Moors  in  1248,  and 
who  died  in  1252.  Over  the  high  altar,  in  a  most 
magnificent  urn  of  gold  and  silver,  lies  his  embalmed 
body.  This  great  king  is  almost  worshiped  by  the 
Sevillians.  The  urn  is  opened  and  the  well-preserved 
body  is  displayed  three  times  a  year,  when  there  is 
a  grand  military  mass,  such  as  we  described  as  being 
observed  at  Granada  the  second  day  of  January. 

I  saw  more  people  in  the  cathedral  at  Seville,  and 
more  apparent  devotion,  than  at  any  other  place  in 
Spain.  One  respectable  man  I  saw  walking  on  his 
knees  across  the  cathedral  to  prostrate  himself  before 
the  Virgin.  He  seemed  well  satisfied  that  he  had 
done  a  good  thing.  One  of  the  side  chapels  is  de- 
voted to  the  vestments  of  the  cardinals,  bishops  and 
other  clergy.  There  are  two  long  rooms  filled  with 
them.  They  are  worked  in  gold  and  silver  thread 
and  ornamented  with  gobelin.    Some  of  them  are 


SE  VILLE, 


163 


400  years  old,  and  their  splendor  is  something  won- 
derful. 

The  cathedral  is  the  great  place  of  resort  in  Sev- 
ille. Thousands  might  gather  here  and  scarcely  be 
noticed.  Here,  in  the  dark  shadows  of  the  lofty 
columns  and  in  the  long  stretch  of  the  dim  aisles,  is 
the  trysting-place  of  lovers;  here  centre  all  the 
grand  pageants  of  the  different  brotherhoods  which 
parade  the  streets  in  Holy  Week ;  and  here  beggars 
innumerable,  on  other  days,  as  in  all  other  cathe- 
drals in  Spain,  hold  sway. 


THE  GIRALDA. 

Towers  furnish  some  of  the  most  effective  archi- 
tecture in  the  world.  They  are  the  glory  of  Cairo,  as 
we  look  down  upon  it  from  the  citadel  on  the  Mok- 
atam  Hills.  The  Campanile  of  Giotto  is  the  beauty 
of  beautiful  Florence.  The  Moorish  tower  called 
the  Giralda  is  the  beauty  of  beautiful  Seville.  It 
was  built  by  the  Moors  in  1196,  as  a  Muezzin  tower, 
from  which  the  faithful  were  called  to  prayer  morn- 
ing, noon  and  evening.  It  was  attached  to  their 
mosque,  which  was  destroyed  by  the  Christian  con- 
querors to  make  a  place  for  the  cathedrals,  which  it 
now  adjoins.  The  Giralda  was  a  sacred  tower  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Moors,  and  when  Seville  was  taken 
they  attempted  to  destroy  it.     But  it  was  too  beau- 


164 


SEVILLE 


tiful  an  object  to  be  lost  to  the  world,  so  the  Chris- 
tian Monarch  St.  Ferdinand  spared  it,  and  it  be- 
came a  cathedral  tower.  It  was  originally  250  feet 
high,  but  a  belfry  of  icx)  feet  more  of  open  filigree 
work  has  been  added,  from  which  peals  forth  a 
chime  of  bells  every  hour  of  the  day.  Girdling  this 
belfry  is  the  appropriate  motto  in  large  letters  of 
iron:  "The  name  of  the  Lord  is  a  strong  tower.*' 
The  Giralda  is  square  at  the  base,  and  its  lofty  sides, 
as  they  sljretch  upward,  present  a  succession  of 
doorways  and  windows,  spanned  by  the  horseshoe 
arch  ;  of  balconies  and  turrets,  all  interspersed  with 
the  rich  ornamentation  in  mathematical  figures 
peculiar  to  the  Arabs. 

The  ascent  is  by  a  succession  of  inclined  planes 
within,  winding  around  the  four  sides,  making  a 
wide,  easy  road,  paved  with  brick  to  the  belfry,  so 
that  a  person  could  ascend  on  horseback.  The  ex- 
Queen  Isabella,  once  ascended  on  the  back  of  a 
donkey.  The  beautiful  lattice-work  belfry  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  figure  of  Faith,  fourteen  feet  high, 
which  serves  as  a  vane,  and  she  changes  her  posi- 
tion with  the  wind  it  easily  as  some  people  can 
change  their  faith.  The  Giralda,  having  stood  for 
seven  centuries,  is  still  one  of  the  most  noble  and 
perfect  specimens  of  Moorish  architecture  in  the 
world.  We  must  ascend  by  its  broad,  easy  road, 
250  feet  to  its  great  bells,  whi^h  have  all  been  duly 


SEVILLE, 


165 


baptized  and  christened  after  distinguished  saints. 
From  here  we  look  out  upon  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful panoramas  any  city  in  the  world  can  present. 
Immediately  below  us  lies  the  court  of  the  great 
cathedral  filled  with  orange  trees,  which  was  once 
the  court  of  the  great  mosque.  The  domes,  towers 
and  roofs  of  the  adjoining  cathedral  buildings,  of 
themselves  look  like  a  small  city  encompassed  by  a 

lofty  wall. 

Outside  of  the  cathedral  grounds  we  look  down 
into  the  open  court  of  almost  every  house  in  the 
city,  filled  with  trees,  flowers  and  statuary,  and 
adorned  with  colored  tiling,  each  in  itself  a  lovely 
picture.  Around  the  densely  crowded  city  stretches 
a  wall  overhung  with  trees,  lined  with  gardens  and 
surrounded  by  towers. 

But  beyond  the  city  the  eye  takes  in  on  every 
side  a  wide  and  beautiful  landscape,  bounded  by 
lofty  mountains  on  the  horizon.  Far  away  to  the 
north-east  stretches  the  Guadalquivir,  whose  valley 
is  the  garden  of  Andalusia.  We  saw  it  at  its  flood 
when  it  filled  the  wide  valley  for  twenty  miles  in 
extent  and  ten  miles  in  width,  and  had  the  appear- 
ance of  a  vast  lake.  To  the  east,  far  on  the  horizon, 
rose  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  mountains  of  Granada, 
where  for  two  centuries  the  Moors  had  watched  and 
threatened  the  kings  of  Spain  in  their  capital  at 
Seville.     To  the  west  of  the  city  flows  the  swift 


1 66 


SEVILLE. 


current  of  the  river,  wltere  at  the  quay  are  anchored 
the  ships  of  all  nations,  and  where  once  rode  the 
navies  of  Caesar.  Across  the  river,  to  the  northwest, 
about  five  miles  away,  is  a  little  town  seen  through 
the  olive  groves,  called  Santi  Ponce,  where  were 
born  three  Roman  Emperors— Trajan,  Adrian  and 
Theodosius.  It  was  built  by  Scipio  Africanus.  To 
the  ijacth,  ten  miles  away,  on  the  hills,  lies  Casteleja 
de  la  Cuesta,  a  small  town  where  lived  Hernando 
Cortes,  the  edfiqueror  of  Mexico,  and  where  he  died 
in  1547,  neglected  by  his  sovereigns.  He  died 
broken-hearted,  as  did  Columbus.  His  body  was 
removed  from  place  to  place,  until  at  last  it  found 
a  resting-place  in  Mexico,  the  scene  of  his  conquests 
and  his  cruelties. 

The  objects  of  interest  in  Seville  are  numerous. 
There  is  here  the  Alcazar  (the  house  of  Cssar),  the 
royal  palace,  built  on  the  site  of  the  dwelling  of  the 
Roman  Praetor  by  the  great  Moorish  prince,  Abdur- 
rahm,  in  the  tenth  centurj^  It  has  been  changed 
and  added  to  by  every  successive  Christian  monarch, 
until  it  is  a  mixture  of  Moorish  and  modern  archi- 
tecture of  immense  proportions.  It  abounds  in 
patios,  large  and  small,  filled  with  lakes,  fountains 
and  gardens.  Next  to  the  Alhambra,  it  is  the  most 
interesting  Moorish  building  in  Spain.  It  is  in  per- 
fect order,  and  was  recently  occupied  by  the  ex- 
Queen  Isabella  and  her  family.    The  ex-Queen  came 


SEVILLE, 


167 


from  France  with  the  promise  that  she  should  reside 
at  Madrid.  Her  children,  the  king  and  his  sister, 
could  not  endure  her  presence  in  the  capital,  and 
the  Government  was  afraid  she  might  again  become 

the  head  of  a  party. 

We  should  not  leave  Seville  until  we  have  paid 
a  visit  to  the  tobacco  factory,  which  is  outside  the 
walls.     The  manufacture  of  cigars,   cigarettes  and 
snuff   is  a  government   monopoly,  and  they  have 
large    manufactories   in    different   cities   of    Spain. 
This  one  at  Seville  is  an  immense  structure,  many 
stories  high,  with  twenty-eight  interior  courts.     It 
is  about  700  feet  long  by  525  wide.    It  is  surrounded 
by  a  moat  and  high  walls,  and  guarded  by  soldiers. 
They  employ  here  5,000  women  in  the  manufacture 
of  cigars.     These  women  are  a  class  by  themselves, 
like  the  Grisettes  of  Paris,  and  with  much  the  same 
character.     They  earn  from  thirty  to  forty  cents  per 
day.     They  come  all  together  like  an  army  at  a 
certain  hour,  and  leave  together  also.     They  bring 
their  food,  their  babies  and  their  dogs.    The  babies 
are  here  fed,  dressed  and  cared  for,  and  are  lying 
around  promiscuously  in  all  directions  in  this  im- 
mense establishment.     Each  story  looks  like  a  tene- 
ment house  for  a  thousand  families.    The  women 
are  not  very  attractive,  but  have  a  bold,  staring, 
gypsy-like  look,  and  an  impertinent  word  for  every 
stranger. 


r 


/i 


i 


i68 


MURILLO. 


MURILLO. 


MURILLO, 


169 


We  cannot  leave  Seville  without  doing  homage 
to  the  memory  of  Murillo.  Here  he  was  born 
January  i,  1618;  here  he  lived,  here  he  gained  im- 
mortality, and  here  he  died,  April  3,  1682.  His 
genius  pervades  the  whole  city  like  an  atmosphere. 
Here  he  founded  an  academy  and  school  of  paint- 
ing. His  works  adorn  the  cathedral,  the  palace,  the 
Museo,  and  almost  every  church.  It  is  wonderful 
to  see  how  the  genius  of  one  man,  age  after  age, 
can  inspire  the  minds  of  a  whole  people.  His  cre- 
ations of  beauty  seem  to  live  like  sunlight  in  the 
minds  of  the  people.  What  Raphael  was  and  is  to 
Italy,  Murillo  was  and  is  to  Spain.  Both  have  been 
and  will  be  worshiped  as  inspired  geniuses — the  one 
for  breathing  heavenly  grace  into  earthly  forms,  and 
the  other  for  transforming  earthly  nature  into  a 
divine  loveliness. 

The  portraits  of  Murillo  show  him  to  have  been 
a  large,  proud-looking  man,  with  the  bearing  of  a 
cavalier.  He  must  have  had  some  of  the  haughty 
imperiousness  of  the  Spaniard.  There  is  nothing 
of  softness  and  tenderness  in  his  face  such  as  you 
will  see  in  that  of  Raphael.  He  began  life  in  pov- 
erty, and  first  painted  pictures  to  be  exported  to 
South  America  for  the  churches.  He  married  a 
lady  of  wealth,  and  thereafter  he  lived  in  affluence 


and  entertained  with  elegance.  He  painted  chiefly 
for  the  Capuchins,  and  his  subjects  are  mostly  sacred 
ones.  His  house,  where  he  lived  and  died,  still  re- 
mains in  Seville.  In  the  south-eastern  part  of  the 
city,  close  by  the  wall,  not  far  from  the  cathedral 
and  the  Alcazar,  he  lived.  It  is  difficult  to  find  the 
house,  hidden  away  in  the  Jewish  quarter  like  the 
nest  of  a  bird,  as  if  to  escape  observation.  But 
once  there  you  feel  the  inspiration  of  the  place.  It 
has  the  usual  Moorish  court,  which  is  filled  with 
trees  and  flowers,  with  a  fountain  in  the  centre. 
The  corridors  are  hung  with  pictures.  Between  the 
house  and  the  city  walls  a  large  garden  intervenes. 
On  the  second  story  is  his  studio,  looking  down  into 
this  court  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  over  the 
gardens  and  over  the  walls  far  away  to  the  distant 
olive-clad  hills.  Here,  in  this  little  room,  not  more 
than  fifteen  feet  square,  surrounded  by  nature's 
beauties,  worked  and  lived  this  great  genius  of 
Spain,  among  the  creations  of  his  own  fancy. 

Standing  in  this  little  room  you  ask  yourself :  Is 
it  possible  that  here  such  creations  as  the  "  Immac- 
ulate Conception,"  "The  Guardian  Angel,"  "St. 
Francis  and  the  Saviour  "  and  "  Moses  Striking  the 
Rock "  could  have  been  conceived  ;  that  here  such 
glimpses  of  the  divine  and  heavenly  could  have  been 
caught  and  imprisoned  by  the  canvas  for  the  delight 
of  coming  ages.  Indeed  it  is  hard  to  believe  that 
8 


170 


MURILLO. 


I 


MURILLO, 


171 


mere  unaided  human  genius  could  have  produced 
such  ecstatic  beauties  as  the  pictures  of  Raphael 
and  Murillo.  Inspiration  must  have  vouchsafed  to 
them  glimpses  of  the  spiritual  world. 

The  power  to  imagine  and  feel  all  the  wonderful 
combination  of  forms,  beauty,  grace,  color  and  feat- 
ure which  make  up  one  of  these  pictures,  and  see 
them  as  a  whole,  and  then  to  paint  them  as  with 
tlie  hand  of  an  angel  on  the  canvas,  is  to  me  super- 
human. One  of  the  most,  perhaps  the  most,  won- 
derful picfttlW  of  Murillo,  is  the  Guardian  Angel, 
which  hangs  in  the  Sacristy  of  the  cathedral.  It  is 
in  his  later  Vaporoso  style,  with  a  soft,  golden  glow. 
The  angel,  with  a  sort  of  heavenly  admiration  and 
wonder,  is  looking  down  on  the  face  of  the  Saviour- 
child,  whom  he  is  holding  by  his  right  hand,  while 
with  his  left  he  is  pointing  to  heaven,  as  if  he  were 
whispering  some  wondrous  vision  of  that  far-off 
land.  The  angel  is  human,  but  not  the  less  an 
angel  for  that.  The  child  is  divine,  but  not  the  less 
a  child  for  that.  At  the  Caridad,  or  alms-house,  is 
another  of  Murillo*s  great  pictures  called  "  Moses 
Striking  the  Rock."  The  majesty  with  which  the 
great  leader  of  Israel  stands  before  the  complaining 
host  is  grand. 

There  is  a  gallery  of  paintings  at  Seville  called 
the  Museo.  It  has  but  few  pictures,  and  Murillo  is 
the  presiding  genius  of  the  place.     About  twenty  of 


I 


his  pictures  hang  here,  besides  many  by  Zurbaran 
and  Alonzo  Cano.     The  majority  of  Murillo*s  pict- 
ures are  Conceptions,  and  he  is  called  by  the  Span- 
iards the  Conception  painter.    The  faces  of  his  saints 
and  virgins  are  the  same  in  nearly  all  his  pictures, 
yet  so  great  is  the  variety  of   color,  drapery  and 
grouping,  that  every  picture  has  a  charm  of  its  own. 
Murillo  has  not  the  strength  of  Michael  Angelo, 
or  the  naturalness  of  Velazquez.     He  has  not  that 
ideality  of  Raphael  which  can  bring  the  heavenly  to 
earth ;  but  he  has  that  power  which  can  exalt  the 
earthly  to  heaven,  which  can  rid  humanity  of  all 
that  is  sensual  and  earthly,  and  clothe  it  with  all  the 
grace  of  spiritual  beauty.     Looking  at  the  face  of 
Murillo,  you  would  not  think  him  a  man  of  tender 
sentiment.    Yet  his  life,  work,  and  all  his  subjects 
show  it.     One  circumstance  will  show  the  sentiment 
of  the  man.     There  now  hangs  in  the  Sacristy  in  the 
cathedral  a  celebrated  picture,  a  Descent  from  the 
Cross,  by  Campana,  a  pupil  of  Michael  Angelo.     So 
life-like  is  it  that  one  great  artist,  Pachecho,  said 
that  he  was  afraid  to  remain  with   it   after  dark. 
This   picture  once  hung  in   the   parish   church  of 
Murillo,  called  Santa  Cruz.     It  was  with  him  a  great 
favorite.     He  used  to  stand  before  it  watching,  as 
he  said,  until  those  holy  men  had  finished  the  taking 
down  of  the  sacred  body  of  Jesus.     Before  this  pict- 
ure he  wished  to  be  buried,  and  his  wish  was  grati- 


I 


172 


MURTLLO. 


fied.    A  plain  marble  slab  in  the  church  of  Santa 
Cruz  marked  the  spot  where  he  was  laid  under  this 
picture,  with   this  inscription :  "  Vive  Moriturus." 
Marshal  Soult,  the  vandal  who  robbed  Spain  of  its 
treasures,  destroyed  this  church,  scattered  the  bones 
of  MuriUo,  and  tore  this  grand  picture  into   five 
pieces.    It  has  now  been  restored  and  hangs  in  the 
cathedral.    This  picture  is  not  equal  to  Rubens'  De- 
scent from  the  Cross.    Two  men  in  Jewish  dress,  on 
ladders,  are  letting  down  the  lifeless  form  with  its 
drooping  head,  the  body  pale  and  bathed  in  blood, 
while  the  Virgin  mother,  Mary  Magdalen,  and  the' 
other  women,  are  gathered  around  the  foot  of  the 
cross,  wrth  thdr  sorrowful  faces  turned  up  to  the 
lifeless  body. 

It  is  here  at  Seville  that  Murillo  can  be  seen  or 
tather  felt,  in  all  his  glory.  He  was  a  true  Andalu- 
sian,  fond  of  beauty  aftd  ravishing  color,  proud  and 
high-tempered,  Of  all  the  bright  stars  in  the  galaxy 
of  Spanish  artists,  he  is  the  brightest. 

THE  OLIVE  AND  THE  VINE. 

We  can  reach  Cadiz  from  Seville  by  railway,  and 
by  the  boat  down  the  Guadalquivir.  The  distance 
IS  about  one  hundred  miles.  The  valley  of  the 
Guadalquivir  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  parts  of 
Spam.    Its  Qlives,  olive  oil,  wine,  oranges  and  cork 


JEREZ, 


173 


are  noted,  and  form  staple  articles  of  commerce.  An 
olive  farm,  or  Hacienda,  as  it  is  called,  is  worthy  of 
a  visit,  and  we  pass  by  many  of  them  on  our  way  to 
Cadiz.  It  is  at  once  a  country  home  of  the  owner, 
a  village  for  his  laborers,  and  a  manufactory  where 
men,  women  and  children  work  alike.  A  good  Ha- 
cienda will  contain  20,000  trees  planted  in  rows. 
The  trees  have  a  beautiful  green  color,  but  no  other 
beauty.  They  resemble  our  large  water  willows. 
Each  tree  produces  from  two  to  three  bushels  of 
olives,  the  value  of  which  is  about  one  dollar.  The 
olive  is  planted  in  January.  A  branch  is  cut  from 
the  parent  stock,  four  slits  made  in  the  largest  end, 
and  a  stone  put  between  them  and  inserted  in 
the  ground  and  a  bank  made  around  it.  It  is 
watered  for  two  years,  but  yields  little  return  till 
the  tenth  year,  and  is  in  its  prime  at  its  30th  year. 
The  finest  trees  are  produced  by  grafting  upon  the 
wild  olive.  The  berries,  when  ripe,  are  of  a  dark 
purple  color.  In  the  autumn,  when  the  gathering 
commences,  the  orchards  are  a  lively  scene.  The 
men,  clothed  in  sheep-skins,  mount  the  trees  and 
whip  off  the  fruit  with  sticks ;  the  children  pick  them 
up,  and  the  women  drive  the  donkeys  laden  with 
them  to  the  mill.  The  fruit  is  ground  into  a  pulp 
between  two  mill-stones  turned  by  mules.  The 
mass  is  then  put  into  round  mats  or  baskets,  about  the 
size  and  shape  of  a  large  cheese,  and  these  are  piled 


1 


174 


JEREZ. 


one  upon  another  under  a  large  press,  and  the  oil 
extracted  which  runs  into  a  large  vat  below,  partly 
filled  with  water.      The  impurities  sink  into  the 
water,  and  the  oil  rises  to  the  top  and  is  dipped  of! 
into  earthen  jars,  which  are  sunk  in  the  earth,  and 
which   hold   about  i,ooo  gallons  each,  and  here  it 
IS  allowed  to  clarify  and  settle.      The  refuse  from 
the  press  is  used  for  fuel  and  to  fatten  pigs.     The 
ohve  beny,  when  used  for  eating,  is  picked  just  be- 
fore  ,t  .s  npe,  to  preserve  its  green  color.     The  oil 
of  Spam  is  not  so  pure  and  delicate  as  that  of  Lucca 
The  first  quality  is  used  as  food,  but   the   second 
grade  is  thick  and  green,  aiyl  is  exported  for  mak 
mg  soap. 

The  railway  passes  through  Jerez,  from  whence 
comes  our  Sheny  wine.  The  wine-cellars  here  are 
"nmense  establishments,  having  the  appearance  of 
large  sheds,  each  covering  acres  of  ground.  They  are 
called  Bodegas.  Many  of  them  contain  15,000  butts, 
each  holding  over  one  hundred  gallons.  The  stranger 
•s  conducted  through  these  immense  establishments 
and  invited  to  taste  all  the  different  kinds  of  wine' 

snerry.      They  have  great  names  for  the  different 

sellh""?."  *''  '"^"^'^^  ^P°^*'^^'"    "Mathu, 
selah,    which  IS  ninety-five  years  old ;    «  The  wine 

of   Jesus   Christ "  ptr      ti,„      •  ,     . 

-inr^        II  r  ^  "^'"^^  obtained  from 

such  well-known  houses  as  R.  Davis,  Duff  Gordon, 


; 


I, 

1 


iiii 


>  I 


JEREZ, 


17s 


M.  Pemartin,  M.  Misa,  and  P.  Garvey,  are  pure. 
No  good  sherry  can  be  bought  in  Jerez  for  less 
than  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  dollars  per  gal- 
lon, and  from  that  upward  for  the  older  wines. 
Add  to  this  a  duty  of  fifty  or  sixty  per  cent.,  and 
we  may  see  what  is  the  first  cost  of  a  pure  sherry 
wine  in  this  country.  Wine  of  a  certain  grade — 
say  Amontillado — is  cured  in  a  certain  butt  of  im- 
mense size.  In  the  bottom  of  the  butt  will  be 
found  a  substance  called  "  mother,"  similar  to  that 
found  in  barrels  of  vinegar.  Wine  is  drawn  from 
this  butt  from  time  to  time,  and  it  is  filled  as  often 
from  more  crude  wine,  and  thus  the  same  grade 
is  kept  up  year  after  year  from  the  mother  or  co- 
agulated mass  in  the  bottom. 

The  Spaniards  do  not  drink  the  sherry  wines,  be- 
cause they  are  too  dear  and  too  strong  for  their 
taste.  It  is  far  more  common  in  England  and 
America,  upon  the  tables  of  the  rich,  than  in  Spain. 
Even  in  Seville  and  Granada,  it  is  rather  used  as  a 
delicate  liqueur  than  as  a  common  beverage.  The 
only  time  we  saw  any  sherry  in  Spain  was  at  the 
house  of  the  foreign  Ministers,  and  at  the  reception 
of  Mr.  Canovas,  the  President  of  the  Cabinet.  It  is 
made  by  foreigners  and  for  foreigners.  The  sherry, 
although  a  pure  wine,  is  the  result  of  a  mixture  of 
many  different  kinds  of  wines  of  a  great  variety  of 
flavor  ;  and  the  process  of  tasting,  mixing,  correcting, 


176 


JEREZ, 


adding  and  subtracting  from  the  different  butts,  un« 
til  the  required  color,  body,  flavor,  aroma  and  dry- 
ness is  obtained,  is  the  work  of  years.  The  taster, 
who  is  called  the  Capataz,  thus  becomes  the  most 
important  man  of  the  Bodega,  and  the  autocrat  of 
the  business.  He  is  ordinarily  a  mountaineer  from 
the  Asturian  mountains,  who  spends  his  life  in  sip- 
ping wines.  Fine  old  sherry  is  of  a  rich  brown 
color,  and  the  newer  wfnes  are  paler.  The  quantity 
of  alcohol  in  the  natural  sherry  is  about  twenty  per 
cent.  And  even  in  addition  to  this,  to  prepare  it 
for  shipping,  brandy  must  be  added.  There  are 
sweet  wines  of  the  sherry  grape  with  all  the  flavor  of 
sherry  wine.  It  has  the  delicacy  and  the  delicious- 
ness  of  Johannisberger, 

It  will  be  seen  that  no  really  pure  and  good  sherry 
can  be  had  in  this  country  for  less  than  five  dollars  a 
gallon.  Price  may  be  one  test  of  the  purity  of  a 
wine;  but,  considering  the  vast  amount  of  wine 
which  is  manufactured  and  doctored  in  this  country 
and  France,  the  only  guaranty  for  a  good  wine  is 
the  house  from  which  it  is  purchased.  But  the 
truth  requires  us  to  say  that  much,  and  perhaps 
most,  of  the  so-called  wine  sold  in  America  is  a 
manufactured  compound  destructive  to  health.  The 
ordinary  drink  of  the  better  classes  in  Spain  is  the 
common  red  wine,  generally  the  Valdepenas.  It  is 
furnished  gratis  by  all  the  hotels  at  the  table  (Tkote, 


JEREZ. 


177 


and  can  be  bought  at  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five 
cents  per  gallon.  We  saw  scarcely  an  intoxicated 
person  in  Spain.  Yet  here  the  common  people  who 
can  afford  it  are  fond  of  stronger  drink  than  their 
wine.  There  is  a  preparation  of  anise  seed,  and  also 
Holland  Schnapps,  sold  in  the  saloons  in  small 
glasses,  half  as  large  as  a  small  wine-glass,  for  a  cent 
a  glass. 

The  great  wine  merchants  of  Jerez  are  generally 
either  French  or  Scotch.  They  are  wealthy,  and 
live  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city  like  princes.  The 
olive  and  the  vine  are  the  sources  of  wealth  in  Spain. 
The  annual  production  of  wine  is  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty-six  millions  of  gallons. 


\ 


CADIZ. 


179 


CADIZ. 

Two  and  a  half  miles  from  Jerez,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Guadelete,  is  the  most  famous  battle-field  of 
Spain.     Here,  in  711,  was  fought  for  two  days  the 
great  battle  between  the  Moors  under  Taric  and  the 
Goths  under  Roderick,  which  resulted  in  the  entire 
subversion  of  the  Gothic  power  and  the  subjugation 
of  Spain  to  the  Moors.     Little  by  little,  and  as  the 
result  of  dissensions  among  themselves,  the  Moors 
lost  their  conquests,  until  at  length,   in    1492,  at 
Granada,  Boabdil  surrendered  the  last  of  their  pos- 
sessions  in  Spain.    The  railway  which   brings    us 
from  Seville,  passing  near  this  battle-field,  brings  us 
to  Cadiz,  which  is  situated  on  the  extremity  of  a 
long,  narrow,    semi-circular  promontory,  extending 
mto  the  Atlantic    ocean  vety  much  as  Cape  Cod 
does.    On  the  marshes,  as  we  approach,  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  city,  we  see  numerous  heaps  of  salt 
looking  like  soldiers'  tents,  white  and  glistening  in 
the  sun.     It  is  made  by  evaporation  in  shallow  pans 
from  sea  water  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.     When  gath- 
ered into  a  heap  shaped  like  a  tent,  a  fire  of  brush  is 
built  over  it  until  an  exterior  coating,  smooth,  gli^ 
tenmg,  and  impervious  to  rain,  is  made  by  the  melt- 


ing  of  the  salt.     Here  it  will  stand  for  years  until 
sold  for  export. 

The  promontory  on  which  the  city  of  Cadiz  is  built 
is  about  eight  miles  long.  The  peninsula,  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  which  the  city  is  built,  is  a  series  of  rocky 
ledges  from  ten  to  fifty  feet  high,  extending  about 
eight  miles  from  the  mainland  in  a  north-westerly 
direction.  On  the  western  side  it  takes  the  whole 
unobstructed  force  of  the  Atlantic,  and  affords  on 
the  eastern  side  a  shelter  to  a  splendid  inner  bay,  as 
large  as  the  bay  of  New  York.  So  high  are  the  tides 
and  so  great  the  force  of  the  Atlantic,  that  a  massive 
wall,  fifty  feet  high,  is  built  to  protect  the  city  for  four 
miles  on  the  seaward  side.  On  the  extreme  end  of 
this  promontory,  which  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
wide,  Cadiz  is  built.  It  has  been  a  famous  city  from 
the  earliest  antiquity.  It  was  founded  by  Hercules, 
so  the  annals  say,  three  hundred  years  before  the 
days  of  Romulus  and  Remus,  and  was  the  great  and 
the  only  port  of  the  Phoenicians  and  the  Romans  on 
the  Atlantic.  It  therefore  monopolized  all  the  com- 
merce with  England  and  the  Baltic,  and  became  im- 
mensely rich.  It  has  always  been,  and  is  now,  a 
city  of  merchants,  and  therefore  its  people  have  not 
-  been  held  in  the  highest  estimation  by  the  Spanish 
grandees,  who,  glorying  in  their  descent  from  re- 
nowned cavaliers,  even  in  their  poverty  affect  to 
despise  trade.    Although  one  of  the  oldest,  Cadiz 


i8o 


CADIZ. 


CADIZ, 


i8i 


pi 

J        till 

I 


has  the  air  of  one  of  the  newest  cities  of  Spain. 
Ascend  the  Torre  de  la  Vigia,  on  which  is  situated 
the  marine  observatory,  and  you  have  the  whole  city 
at  your  feet.     Every  house  is  whitewashed  within 
and  without.      Every  roof    is    flat,    covered  with 
brick,  and  cemented  so   as  to  catch  the  rain,   on 
which  alone  the  city  depends  for  water.   All  is  white, 
and  cleanly,  and  smokeless  as  if  just  painted.     Nu- 
merous elegant  little  towers  rise  on  the  roofs,  from 
which    the  merchants   could  watch   their  galleons 
coming   into    the    harbor.     The  narrow   peninsula 
below  you  is  thickly  studded  with  houses,  but  looks 
as  if  the  stormy  Atlantic,  forever  battering  against 
its  walls,  would  sweep  it  out  of  existence.    To  the 
west   stretches  the   trackless  ocean,   with   no  land 
between  us  and  the  shores  of  Virginia.     To  the  east 
lies  the  great  inner  bay,  ten  miles  in  width,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  which  is  Puerto  Real,  the  great  naval 
station  of  Spain,  and  which  once  was  the  rendez- 
vous of  the  galleys  of  Caesar.     There  is  no  business 
in  Cadiz  except  such  as  is  thrust  upon  it  by  its  har- 
bor.    It  has  lost  much  of  its  prestige  as  a  commer- 
cial city,  and  Seville  has  taken  it.     Oil,  wine,  olives, 
oranges  and  salt   are  shipped  here  in  large  quan- 
tities, but  foreigners  monopolize  much  of  this  busi- 
ness.    Before  the  late  wars,  Cadiz  was  a  rich  city. 
Their  weahh  was  mostly  invested  in  their  own  gov- 
ernment funds,  on  which  no  interest  is  paid  ;  taxes 


are   high,   and   the   expense   of  living  very  great ; 
almost  nothing  is  raised  in  this  part  of  Andalusia. 
Bad  tillage  and  want  of  rain  leaves  the  country  bar- 
ren  of    almost   everything  but  wheat.    Very   few 
vegetables    are   obtained.     The   poor  live   on   fish, 
bread   and    olives.     Meat,   chickens   and   eggs    are 
brought  from  Tanglers  in  Morocco.     Both  poor  and 
rich  are  obliged  to  live  with  the  greatest  economy. 
But   a    Spaniard   can  live   comfortably  on   almost 
nothing.    The  curse  of  the  people   is   their  ignor- 
ance.    A  consular  agent  informed  me  that  the  best 
people  could  scarcely  write  their  names,  and   that 
many  men  high  in  office  could  not  write  intelligibly. 
Another  curse,  says  my  guide,  is  the  priests.    There 
are  sixty  connected  with  one  of  the  cathedrals  here, 
where  three  would  be  enough.     The  city,  being  sur- 
rounded by  water,  is  resorted  to  for  its  cool  breezes 
in  the  summer,  and  has  therefore  become  a  water- 
ing-place. 

In  the  evening,  after  the  terrible  heat  of  the  day, 
the  inhabitants  come  out  of  their  houses  and  fill  the 
alamedas  or  squares  which  face  the  sea,  where  they 
enjoy  the  cool  sea  breeze,  and  spend  half  the  night 
promenading  under  the  trees  and  along  the  shore. 
Cadiz  is  noted  for  its  beautiful  women,  and,  says  a 
good  authority,  "  they  fascinate  alike  by  their  form 
and  their  manners.  They  are  more  the  devotees  of 
Venus  than  of  the  chaste  Diana." 


1 82 


CADIZ, 


There  are  few  works  of  art  here  worth  the  travel- 
er's attention.     Cadiz   has  two    cathedrals.     Even 
the  best  is  a  bad  specimen  of  the  overloaded,  florid 
Corinthian  style  of  the  last  century.     But  one  work 
of  art  here  we  cannot  pass  by.     It  is  the  last  pict- 
ure of  Murillo,  the  "Marriage  of  St.  Catherine," 
over  the  high  altar  in  the  chapel  of  the  Convent  of 
the  Capuchins.     When  the  picture  was  nearly  com- 
pleted he  fell  from  the  scaffold  and  received  injuries 
from  which  he   died  shortly  after  at  Seville.     This 
picture  is  nine  feet  by  twelve,  and  has  ten  figures  in 
it.     St.  Catherine  is  kneeling  before  the  Virgin,  who 
holds  her  son  on  her  knees.     He  is  putting;  the  ring 
on  the  finger  of  the  saint,  angels  standing  on  each 
side,   and   cherubs  are  hovering  above  and  below. 
The  coloring  and  the  grouping  are  fine.     The  priest 
in  attendalfci  told  me  Murillo  was  occupied  twenty 
days  in  painting  the  picture,  which  is  substantially 
finished.     Here  in  this  convent  is  also  a  St.  Francis. 
The  saint  is  kneeling,  looking  up,  enraptured  by  the 
heavenly  vision  of  the  Saviour  dimly  seen  in  the 
clouds  above.     His   hands  are    stretched   upward, 
bearing  the  bloody  marks  of  the  nails.     They  stand 
out  from  the  canvas  like  the  arms  of  a  living  man. 
The  upturned    face  of  holy    submission,   reverent 
love,    seems    an   inspiration.      Had    Murillo   never 
done  anything  else,  this  picture  would  have  made 
him    immortal.      I   asked    the    ancient    friar    who 


CADIZ, 


183 


attended  us,  "  What  did  your  brethren  pay  Murillo 
for  this  picture  ?"     He  said  seventy-five  dollars. 


CADIZ  TO   GIBRALTAR. 

It  is  possible  to  go  from  Cadiz  to  Gibraltar  by 
diligence  in  fifteen  hours,  but  it  is  easier  to  go  by 
water  if  the  weather  is  fair.  With  a  splendid  water- 
front, with  the  finest  harbor  in  Spain,  and  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  world,  Cadiz  has  only  one  little 
wooden  dock  for  small  boats,  and  no  dock  from 
which  a  little  steamer  can  start.  It  has  every  com- 
mercial advantage — a  good  harbor,  good  approach 
to  it,  a  good  country  at  the  back  of  it,  a  good  rail- 
road to  it,  and  good  access  to  France,  England  and 
the  United  States.  It  should  be  a  great  city,  full  of 
enterprise  and  wealth.  But  it  is  dead.  No  large  com- 
mercial houses,  no  manufactories,  no  business  but 
such  as  necessarily  comes  to  a  port.  Our  little  boat 
steams  out  of  this  magnificent  harbor  to  the  north- 
west, to  get  around  the  ledge  of  rocks  about  six  miles 
from  the  city,  called  the  "  Sows."  This  ledge  saved 
the  city  from  destruction  when  Lisbon  was  destroyed 
by  an  earthquake  in  1755.  The  great  tidal  wave 
struck  this  ledge  of  rocks  and  was  broken;  other- 
wise it  would  have  rolled  over  the  city  and  de- 
stroyed it. 

The  view  of  the  city  from  the  ocean  is  very  grand. 


i84 


THE  STRAITS, 


It  sits  like  a  queen  of  the  sea,  white  and  glistening, 
surrounded  by  water,  the  lofty  lighthouse  standing 
like  a  brilliant  gem  in  her  diadem.  The  lighthouse 
rises  high  out  of  and  above  a  large  fort  built  upon  a 
lofty  rock,  standing  in  the  sea  in  advance  of  the  city. 
Cadiz  seen  from  the  south-west,  as  we  turn  toward 
Gibraltar,  and  looking  on  her  massive  sea-girt  wall, 
presents  the  appearance  of  one  grand  fortification, 
crowned  by  the  cathedral  with  its  lofty  tower,  which 
is  seen  rising  far  above  all.  That  part  of  Andalusia 
along  which  we  are  now  sailing  is  full  of  interest, 
and  its  history  is  older  than  that  of  Rome.  It  was 
called  Tartesus. 

The  shores  of  Spain,  from  Cadiz  to  the  Straits, 
are  a  series  of  high,  barren  bluffs  and  long  sand 
points  extending  into  the  ocean.  Here  and  there 
a  windmill  or  an  ancient  watch-tower  is  seen  on  the 
highest  points  on  the  shore,  while  far  inland  rise  the 
snow-clad  mountains  of  Andalusia,  with  occasionally 
a  white  village  seen  nestling  among  the  valleys.  In 
two  or  three  hours  we  come  in  sight  of  a  long,  low 
point  stretching  into  the  sea,  with  a  lighthouse  on 
its  extremity.  This  is  Trafalgar,  off  which  the 
great  battle  between  Nelson  and  the  combined 
forces  of  the  French  and  Spanish  was  fought,  Oct. 
21,  1805,  which  has  given  England  ever  since  the 
supremacy  of  the  seas.  We  pass  over  the  very  spot 
where  Nelson  lost  his  life.   It  is  a  place  which  might 


THE  STRAITS, 


IBs 


well  inspire  the  great  hero.   The  enemy  were  before 
him  in  magnificent  array.     From  the  deck  of  his 
ship  he  could  look  through  the  gates  of  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Mediterranean.    The  headlands  of  Europe 
and  Africa,  rising  on  either  hand,  were  before  him. 
Here  he  raised  his  famous  signal,  "  England  expects 
every  man  to  do  his  duty."  It  is  said  that  before  one  of 
his  other  battles  he  said, "  Westminster  Abbey  or  vic- 
tory !  "   Strange  that  after  such  a  victory,  purchased 
by  such  a  death,  the  English  nation  should  not  have 
laid  him  in  Westminster  Abbey.     His  remains  sleep 
in  St.  Paul's,  where  the  Iron  Duke  has  also  been 
laid  to  rest  beside  him.     Passing  Trafalgar,  we  now 
enter  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  which  may  be  said  to 
commence  on  the  African  side  with  Cape  Spartel, 
and  on  the  European  side  with  Trafalgar.     They 
are   here  about  thirty  miles  wide,  and  they  grow 
narrower,  until  at  Tariffa,  in  Spain,  they  are  only  ten 
miles  in  width.     A  current  sets  through  them  of 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  per  hour.     The  water 
changes   immediately   as  we   come   within   the   in- 
fluence of  the  current  from  green  to  a  blue  black. 
The  line  of  color  is  distinctly  marked,  and  can  be 
seen  for  miles.     The  change  of  color  is  produced 
probably  by  passing  from  shallow  to  deep  water. 

The  Atlas  chain  of  mountains  in  Africa  now  rise 
before  us  in  one  confused  mass  of  lofty  peaks,  ex- 
tending from  the  coast  far  inland.     Opposite  Tariffa 


1 86 


THE  STRAITS, 


we  are  in  the  narrowest  part  of  the  Straits.  Here, 
on  a  ledge  of  rocks  entending  far  into  the  Straits, 
is  a  large  fortification  and  a  lighthouse.  This  fort 
commands  the  Straits  more  than  Gibraltar  does,  as 
the  Straits  opposite  Gibraltar  are  twenty  miles  wide. 
But  it  is  much  more  easily  assailed  than  Gibraltar, 
and  not  so  easily  defended.  Here  rises  a  magnifi- 
cent lighthouse,  135  feet  high,  which  can  be  seen 
forty  miles  away.  Tariffa  in  former  times  has  been 
a  place  of  great  importance  and  the  scene  of  many 
a  gallant  contest  between  the  Moors  and  Christians. 
Here  the  Moors  first  landed  in  711,  and  the  first 
chief  who  landed,  Tarif  Malik,  gave  a  name  to  the 
town,  and  here  the  Mftprs  levied  contributions  on 
every  passing  ship,  and  hence  our  English  word 
tariff. 

The  ^^  from  here  through  the  Straits  is  a  mag- 
nificent one.  The  channel  begins  to  widen  into 
deep  bays,  between  long  headlands  on  either  side. 
The  white  towers  of  Tangiers  rise  at  the  south. 
Ships  of  every  description  are  hurrying  through  the 
great  highway  before  a  fair  wind,  with  all  their 
canvas  spread.  To  the  south-east  arises  the  high, 
rocky  front  of  Abyle,  the  African  Pillar  of  Hercules. 
Soon  around  another  long  point,  far  to  the  north- 
east, we  descry  just  the  low  south  point  of  the  rock 
Gibraltar.  As  we  round  the  point  more  and  more 
the  view  extends,  and  we  see  farther  and  farther  up, 


THE  STRAITS. 


187 


until  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  Calpe,  the  European  Pillar 
of  Hercules,  and  soon  the  whole  magnificent  rock 
stands  before  us,  the  most  impregnable  fortress  of 
the  world,  the  object  of  a  hundred  battles  during 
a  thousand  years  gone  by. 


/' 


/ 


GIBRALTAR  AND   CONSTANTINOPLE, 


189 


I 


GIBRALTAR  AND  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

There  are  two  places  of  supreme  importance  ia 
the   present   history   of    the   world— Gibraltar   and 
Constantinople.      One   controls   all   the   commerce 
between  America,     Eastern    Europe,   and   all  the 
nations  which  group  themselves  around  the  Medi- 
terranean.  The  other  is  the  key  to  all  the  commerce 
between  the  Black  Sea,  its  tributaries,  the  country 
drained  by  the  Danube  and  the  Mediterranean,  and 
the   outside  world.      Besides  this,  Constantinople, 
standing  at  the  only  point  where  the  Continents  of 
Europe  and  of  Asia  meet,  in  these  days  of  railroads 
and  telegraphs,  is  to  be  the  point  at  which  will 
converge,  and  from  whence  will  radiate,  all  the  over- 
land traffic  between  these  two  continents.     England 
laid  her  hand  on  Gibraltar  174  years  ago,  and  has 
held  it  ever  since.     She  took  it  by  force  when  fight- 
ing for  Spain,  and  refused  to  band  it  over  to  the 
rightful  owner  when  the  war  of  the  Succession  was 
finished.     By  force  she  has  held  it  ever  since. 

By  all  rules  of  international  law,  and  by  all  con- 
siderations of  equity,  it  belongs  to  Spain.  It  is  a 
part  of  her  territory;  it  is  a  constant  threat  and 
humiliation  to  her.      But  with  England,  as  in  the 


i 


case  of  Malta,  Cyprus  and  India,  might  makes  right. 
We  are  not  disposed  to  quarrel  with  this  principle, 
which,  whether  we  recognize  it  in  our  Code  of  In- 
ternational Law  or  not,  is  a  principle  acted  on  by 
all  the  enlightened  nations  of  the  world. 

Put  the  opportunity  in  the  way  of  any  great  na- 
tion to  aggrandize  or  protect  itself  at  the  expense 
of  a  weaker,  and  what  nation  does  not  find  a  good 
excuse  for  so  doing  in  law  and  in  morals?    But  if 
Endand  can  hold  Gibraltar  and  Malta,  why  should 
not  Russia  hold  Constantinople,  if  she  can  take  it  ? 
Why  is  not   might   right,  here  also  as  well   as  at 
Gibraltar?     The  Russian  says,  "Why  should  we, 
one   of    the   great   powers,   and   even   the   greatest 
power  in  Europe,  with  90  millions  of  people,  with 
one-seventh  of  the  territory  of  the  world,  be  shut 
out  from  the  Mediterranean  ?  Why  should  our  prog- 
ress and  expanding  energies  be  cramped  and  shut 
in,  because  of  the  envy  of  the  English  nation?     If 
England  can  hold  Gibraltar  by  force,  why  cannot 
we  hold  Constantinople?"     There  is  no  principle 
of  law  or  justice  on  which   England  has  acted  for 
the  past  one  hundred  years,  which  would  prevent 
Russia  from  holding  Constantinople  if  she  can  get 

it. 

The  occupation  of  Gibraltar  by  the  English  has 
been  a  constant  source  of  complaint  by  Spain  for  a 
whole  century.     Not  only  is  it  humiliating  to  her 


igo 


GIBRALTAR, 


GIBRALTAR, 


191 


to  have  a  foreign  fortress  on  her  soil,  with  its  guns 
turned  upon  her  dominions,  but  its  occupation  is  a 
constant  source  of  trouble  from  the  smuggling  of 
goods  from  Gibraltar  into  Spain.     Mr.  Bright  ac- 
knowledged to  me  that  England  has  no  right  to 
Gibraltar,  and  only  holds  it  by  the  law  of  force,  and 
at  an  immense  expense,  and  that  he  would  be  will- 
ing to  cede  it  to  them  again.     I  asked  if  he  would 
be  willing  to  turn  it  over  with  all  its  formidable 
fortifications  and  guns,  and  with  its  present  strength 
for  doing  evil  to  the  commerce  of  the  world?     He 
said  no ;  that  he  would  dismantle  it  and,  by  treaty, 
have  it  stripped  of  its  ability  to  threaten  the  com- 
merce of  other  nations.     He  said  Mr.  Cobden  once 
told  him,  after  he  had  been  traveling  in  Spain,  that 
if  the  English  would  cede  Gibrahar  to  Spain,  they 
could  obtain  a  treaty  from   Spain  in  relation  to 
duties  and  commerce  which  would  be  worth  millions 
of  pounds  annually  to  England.     Now  it  costs  Eng- 
land $i,200,cxx)  dollars  annually.     We  do  not  won- 
der, however,  that  Englishmen  hold  on  to  this  as 
one  of  the  jewels  in  the  "crown  of  the  Ocean 
Queen."      It   accommodates    from   6,cxx)  to   8,000 
troops,  who,  after  staying  here  for  one  year,  are 
acclimated  and  prepared  for  the  hotter  climate  of 
India.     It  is  one  of  the  chain  of  fortresses  on  her 
grand  highway  to  India ;  Malta,  Cyprus,  Aden  and 
Bombay  being  the  others.    This  is  the  first  great 


coaling  depot  on  the  line  from  England  to  the  East, 
and  these  depots  for  coal  are  absolutely  necessary 
for  a  steam  marine ;  for  no  war  vessel,  at  its  highest 
efficiency,  can  carry  more  than  six  or  eight  days' 
supply  of  coal.     England  thus  maintains  this  Hne 
of  fortifications  from  her  own  shores  to  India,  so 
that  her  steam  marine  is  irresistible  by  any  other 
power,  and  she  is  literally  the  mistress  of  the  Medi- 
terranean.    She,  at  Gibraltar,  holds  the  key  of  this 
great  sea,  and  controls  its  commerce.      It  is  true 
that  the  Straits  are  twenty  miles  wide  at  Gibraltar, 
and  none  of  its  80-ton  guns  can  reach  the  opposite 
shore,  yet   they   have   only   to  station   across   the 
channel  a  few  of  their  ironclads,  supported  by  the 
harbor  and   fortress   of    Gibraltar,   and   they   com- 
pletely dominate  it.     If   England  could  always  be 
at  peace  with  all  the  world,  she  is  the  very  best 
power  to  hold  Gibraltar.     But  suppose  she  was  at 
war  with  America— not  one  of  our  ships  could  safely 

pass  the  straits. 

It  is  too  late  for  the  nations  of  the  world  to  com- 
plain of  the  occupation  of  Gibraltar  and  Malta. 
The  right  has  become  prescriptive;  but  what  we 
do  contend  for  is  that  England  cannot,  with  any 
consistency,  object  to  other  nations  occupying 
strongholds  on  the  map  of  the  world  which  do  not 

belong  to  her. 

England  has  not  a  foot  of  land  on  the  Continent 


192 


GIBRALTAR, 


of  Europe  excepting  Gibraltar,  and  probably  never 
will  have ;  but  every  Englishman  who  sails  into  the 
harbor  of  Gibraltar,  and  from  the  deck  of  his  ship 
looks  up  the  sloping  sides  of  this  rock,  three  miles 
long,  feels  and  knows  that  it  is  worth  more  than 
any  whole  kingdom  on  the  Continent.  He  sees, 
at  a  glance,  that  the  power  which  holds  this 
holds  the  Meditempean.  He  sees  how  impregnable 
it  is,  and  that  all  the  navies  of  the  world  could  not 
take  it.  He  sees  the  line  of  granite  wall,  stretching 
along  the  water  from  the  perpendicular  eastern  face 
all  around  the  western  side  and  to  the  northern  face, 
surmounted  by  eighty-ton  guns,  pointing  in  every 
direction.  All  along  up  the  slope  of  the  rock,  wher- 
ever a  battery  can  be  placed,  there  he  sees  these 
black,  one-eyed  monsters  looking  down  upon  him. 
From  the  deck  of  the  ship  in  the  bay  is  the  best 
place  to  get  a  good  view  of  this  fortress.  The  town 
consists  of  two  parts,  both  situate  on  the  western 
side,  near  the  water.  The  residence  for  civilians  and 
for  business  is  on  the  northerly  end  of  the  western 
side.  Then  comes  the  parade  ground  ;  then  a  beau- 
tiful park,  called  the  Alameda,  with  walks,  mini- 
ature lakes,  bridges,  rustic  seats,  and  trees  and 
flowers  of  all  kinds ;  and  then  on  the  south-westerly 
side  are  situated  the  houses  of  the  officers  and  garri- 
sons for  the  soldiers. 

The  town  of  Gibraltar— that  is,  the  civilians'  quar- 


J 


) 


1  1 


GIBRALTAR, 


193 


ters — is  built  on  the  slope  which  rises  quite  sud- 
denly from  the  western  side  of  the  Rock.  Street 
rises  above  street  for  hundreds  of  feet,  and  in  the 
evening,  when  the  houses  are  lighted,  it  has  much 
the  appearance  of  the  old  town  of  Edinburgh 
viewed  from  the  lower  town.  It  has  a  population  of 
about  eighteen  thousand,  composed  of  all  races 
under  the  sun,  and  clothed  in  every  garb  known  to 
mankind.  The  largest  portion  of  the  people  are 
Roman  Catholics.  Then  the  Jews  come  next  in 
numbers ;  they  have  four  synagogues.  The  Protest- 
ants are  next  in  number,  and  then  Mohammedans. 
The  inhabitants  are  traders,  and  smuggling  seems  to 
be  the  chief  part  of  their  business.  Thousands  of 
pounds  of  tobacco,  beside  immense  quantities  of 
other  goods,  are  smuggled  into  Spain  from  Gibraltar 
annually ;  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  one  of 
the  chief  sources  of  revenue  to  Spain  is  tobacco,  it 
may  be  seen  what  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  Spain  is 
this  English  fortress.  These  goods  are  carried  off 
from  Gibraltar  in  small  boats  at  night  to  the  coast 
of  Spain,  where  the  contrabandista  are  ready  to  re- 
ceive them  and  carry  them  into  the  mountains,  and 
thence  to  all  parts  of  the  kingdom. 

The  climate  here,  except  from  July  to  October,  is 
salubrious  and  tempered  by  the  sea  breezes;  but 
during  the    summer    months,   when   the   Levanter 

prevails,    it   is   unhealthy;    wounds    will    not   heal 
9 


i^fff 


eiBRAL  TAM* 


GIBRAL  TAR. 


195 


then,  and  diseases  prevail  among  children.  During 
these  months  the  people  resort  to  Africa,  along  the 
shores  of  the  Atlantic,  west  of  the  Straits,  where 
they  get  the  Atlantic  breezes  and  the  climate  is 
salubrious  even  in  summer.  There  are  no  springs 
on  the  Rock.  Immense  reservoirs  are  built  on 
different  parts  above  the  town,  for  storing  the 
water  which  falls  in  rain.  Their  capacity  is  about 
twelve  thousand  tons.  There  are  good  hotels  here, 
kept  by  Englishmen,  and  everything  is  done  and 
served  in  the  English  style.  Every  one  you  meet  at 
the  hotels  is  English,  while  in  the  streets  there  is  a 
strange  mixture  of  all  nationalities.  But  everything 
you  see  and  hear  shows  you  the  military  character 
and  government  of  the  place. 

When  you  land  outside  of  the  walls  you  cannot 
pass  the  gates  without  a  permit  from  a  government 
officer,  which  is  a  permission  for  you  to  remain  in 
the  town  for  five  days,  when  it  is  supposed  you  will 
obtain  a  renewal  of  the  permit.  The  gates  are 
closed  at  sunset  and  opened  at  sunrise,  at  the  signal 
by  the  booming  of  the  Rock  gun  on  the  north^irn 
point.  If  you  are  without  the  walls  after  sunset, 
you  must  stay  out  all  night.  If  you  are  out  of  your 
house  after  midnight,  you  are  arrested. 

You  enter  the  town  through  the  immense  gates 
of  a  fortification  guarded  by  soldiers.  Barracks, 
men  in  uniform  or  marching  in  ranks,  are  seen  on 


every  hand.  The  fife,  drum  and  bugle  are  heard  at 
all  hours.  There  are  eight  thousand  soldiers  sta- 
tioned here.  They  are  under  constant  drill,  and  a 
grand  parade  of  England's  best  troops  may  be  seen 
on  the  parade  ground  twice  a  week,  at  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  It  is  a  fine  sight  to  stand,  a  little 
before  this  hour,  on  the  parade  ground,  and  to  see 
the  different  companies,  clad  in  their  various  uni- 
forms, winding  down  the  numerous  paths  from  all 
directions  toward  the  parade,  their  burnished  arms 
glistening  in  the  sun  as  they  march  to  the  music  of 
the  bugle  and  the  drum.  On  the  parade  ground  we 
saw  a  company  of  Moors  from  Morocco,  dressed  in 
the  Arab  style.  By  the  permission  of  the  English 
government  they  are  here  trained  by  British  tac- 
ticians and  then  sent  to  Morocco  to  become  officers. 
They  were,  physically,  the  finest-looking  company 
on  the  parade. 

Gibraltar  is  used  by  England  as  a  half-way  station 
to  India,  and  particularly  as  a  place  for  acclimating 
her  troops  for  that  latitude.  Soldiers,  by  remaining 
here  two  or  three  years,  are  prepared  for  the  more 
enervating  influences  of  a  tropical  country.  For- 
merly all  fortifications  and  public  works  were  built 
by  civilians ;  but  latterly  all  this  work  is  done  by 
artisans  who  are  found  among  the  troops,  who,  for 
a  little  extra  pay,  are  glad  to  relieve  the  monotony 
of  a  soldier's  life  by  labor  of  this  kind.    Gibraltar 


■( 


196 


GIBRALTAR. 


consumes,  but  produces  absolutely  nothing.  All 
the  meats,  poultry  and  eggs  consumed  there  are 
brought  from  Tangiers  in  Africa,  and  all  their  vege- 
tables are  brought  from  the  Spanish  towns. 

GIBRALTAR. — NATURAL  FEATURES. 

After  passing  the  Straits  the  northerly  coast  bears 
almost   due   east   for  about   fifteen  miles,  when  it 
turns  suddenly  for  about  twenty  miles  in  a  circular 
hne  to  the  north-west,  then  to  the  north,  and  then 
to  the  east.     At   this  point  the  long,  wedge-like 
promontory  of   Gibraltar   extends   from   the   coast 
due  south  five  miles  into  the  sea,  being  about  one- 
half  mile  wide.     The  northern  end  of  this  strip  of 
land  for  one  and  a  half  miles  is  a  sandy  beach  and 
belongs  to  Spain,  and  a  line  of  white  sentry  boxes, 
filled  with  guards  to  prevent  smuggling,  is  stretched 
across  from  shore  to  shore.     The  next  four  hundred 
yards  to  the  south  is  called  "  neutral  ground,"  on 
which  there  is  no  erection,  and  not  a  tree,  bush  or 
rock  is  to  be  seen.     It   is  no  man's  land,  and  no 
power  has  any  jurisdiction  over  it.     Next  south  of 
the  neutral  ground  commences  the  English  jurisdic- 
tion.   A  line  of  blue  sentry  boxes  on  their  side  also 
stretches  across  the  promontory,  about  one-half  mile 
in  distance  from  shore  to  shore. 

About  one-half  mile  to  the  south  of  the  northerly 
limit  of  the  English  jurisdiction,  rises  abruptly  out 


GIBRALTAR, 


197 


of  the  dead  sea  level  of  sand,  1,400  feet  high,  the 
Rock  of  Gibraltar,  which  extends  south  three  miles 
into  the  Mediterranean.  There  are  three  points 
higher  somewhat  than  the  remainder  of  the  Rock : 
one  at  the  northerly  end,  one  in  the  middle,  and 
one  at  the  southerly  end.  The  latter  is  called  Eu- 
ropa  Point  or  Calpe,  and  is  the  European  Pillar  of 
Hercules.  It  looks  down  upon  and  through  the 
Straits  into  the  Atlantic.  The  central  point  is  used 
as  a  lighthouse  and  signal  station.  From  it  all 
vessels  approaching  the  Straits  from  the  east  are 
seen  at  the  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  miles,  and 
their  arrival  is  immediately  telegraphed  to  London. 
The  view  from  this  point  is  sublimity  itself.  Far 
to  the  eastward  the  blue  Mediterranean  is  covered 
with  white  sails,  all  converging  toward  the  Straits. 
Twenty  miles  across  the  Straits  rises  the  African 
Pillar  of  Hercules,  and  far  away  to  the  south-west 
stretches  the  Atlas  Mountains  of  Africa,  while  to 
the  north  and  west  arise,  peak  after  peak,  the  snow- 
clad  mountains  of  Andalusia.  Looking  to  the  west, 
immediately  at  your  feet,  is  the  Bay  of  Algeciras,  or 
the  harbor  of  Gibraltar,  the  westerly  and  the  north-i 
erly  sides  formed  by  the  circular  line  of  the  Straits 
and  the  easterly  side  by  the  promontory  of  Gibral- 
tar. This  harbor  is  in  width  about  six  miles  from 
the  Rock  to  the  westerly  shore,  but  has  a  wide 
entrance  to  the  south  and  is  much  exposed  to  the 


< 


'    ^'"'*"**J,,, 


198 


GIBRALTAR. 


41 


Levanters  and  sdiitherly  winds.    The  anchorage  is 
not  good  on  account  of  a  rocky  bottom. 

The  town  and  fortifications  are  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Rock,  which  rises  by  a  gradual  slope 
from  the  water's  edge  to  the  very  top.  The  eastern 
side  of  the  Rock,  for  its  whole  length  of  three  miles, 
is  one  precipitous,  almost  perpendicular  wall  from 
1,200  to  1,400  feet  high,  where  Nature  has  reared 
her  everlasting  defences,  inaccessible  to  man.  You 
may  look  down  from  these  dizzy  battlements  to  the 
Mediterranean  surging  and  roaring  below  and  find 
no  place  where  an  invading  foe  can  obtain  a  foot- 
hold. Not  a  gun  is  placed  on  this  eastern  side,  for 
none  is  needed.  The  north  front  also,  looking  down 
on  the  narrow  beach  which  connects  with  the  main- 
land, is  very  precipitous  and  rises  almost  perpen- 
dicularly 1,350  feet.  On  the  highest  northern  point 
is  placed  the  Rock  gun,  which  is  fired  at  sunrise  and 
at  sunset,  and  by  which  the  gates  of  the  town  are 
opened  and  shut.  From  the  town,  which  is  at  the 
foot  of  the  western  slope,  beautiful  roads  run  in 
zigzag  directions  up  to  the  very  top  of  the  Rock. 
The  southern  extremity,  or  Calpe,  or  Europa  Point, 
which  looks  off  toward  the  Straits,  gradually  breaks 
down  and  extends,  like  a  plowshare,  one-half  mile 
into  the  sea. 

Such  are  some  of  the  natural  features  of  this 
great  fortress. 


GIBRALTAR, 


GIBRALTAR. — ITS  DEFENCES. 


199 


It  needs  defence  only  where  it  can  be  attacked. 
The  eastern  perpendicular  wall,  as  we  have  said, 
needs  no  defence.  Europa,  or  the  southern  point, 
and  the  western  side,  can  be  approached  from  the 
sea  and  the  northern  side  from  the  land.  The  de- 
fences on  the  southern,  western  and  northern  sides 
are  marvelous.  For  one  hundred  and  seventy  years 
the  English  nation  has  been  exhausting  its  skill 
to  render  it  impregnable.  The  first  defence  is  a 
granite  outer  wall,  entending  entirely  around  the 
western  side  of  the  Rock,  along  the  water  line  from 
Europa  Point  to  the  cliff  on  the  northern  extremity. 
This  wall  is  eight  feet  thick  and  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
high.  It  is  a  series  of  bastions  and  batteries  and  is 
pierced  with  port-holes  tier  above  tier  for  three  miles 
in  extent.  From  these  port-holes  and  from  the 
glacis  on  the  top  of  the  wall  are  seen  pointing  in 
every  possible  direction  those  huge  eighty-ton  guns 
which  look  like  an  army  of  black,  sleeping  fiends. 

Europa  Point  is  the  most  exposed  to  attack  from 
the  water  and  is  most  magnificently  fortified.  Tier 
above  tier  of  immense  walls  and  fort  above  fort 
filled  with  guns  rise  on  this  point  for  two  hundred 
feet.  The  north  front  protects  against  any  ap- 
proach from  the  land.  Six  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  water  a  gallery  one-half  mile  in  length 


200 


GIBRALTAR, 


GIBRALTAR. 


201 


i 


has  been  tunneled  into  the  Rock  across  the  north- 
ern front  and  near  the  face  of  the  cHff,  and  one 
hundred   feet   above   that   is  another  gallery,   and 
above  that  another.    There  are  two  and  a  half  miles 
of  these  galleries  along  this  northern  cliff.     From 
them  port-holes  have  been  opened  to  the  northern 
end  of  the  cliff,  through  which  immense  guns  frown 
down  on  Spain  and  the  narrow  approach  from  the 
land  across  the  neutral  ground.     These  galleries  are 
about  twelve  feet  wide,  and  the  rooms  for  the  guns 
hollowed  out  along  their  course  are  about  twenty 
feet   square.      Rooms  also,  for  storing  shot,  shell, 
powder  and  supplies  are  scattered  along  these  gal- 
leries high  up  in  the  heart  of  the  Rock.    At  the 
eastern  extremity  of  one  of  these  galleries  is  a  large 
hall  excavated,  called  the  Hall  of  St.  George,  where 
Nelson  was  once  entertained.     There  are  batteries 
also  on  the  ledges  outside  on  this  northern  cliff, 
which  fairly  bristles  with  these  great  guns,  and,  like 
a  huge  giant  stands  scowling  ominously  down  upon 
Spain  from  these  deep-mouthed  port-holes  tier  above 
tier.     On  the  exterior  northern  point  is  the  great 
Rock  gun,  which,  on  the  morning  of  the  Queen's 
birthday,  booms  forth   its  grand  salute ;    the  next 
battery  below  takes  up  the  fire,  then  the  next  gal- 
lery, and  so  on  down  and   down,  until  the  shore 
batteries  shake  the  whole  Rock  by  their  thunders, 
when  the  troops  close  up  the  grand  salute  to  the 


sovereign  Queen,  who,  sitting  in  her  little  isle, 
holds  the  keys  of  the  world's  fortress  and  sways  her 
sceptre  over  some  of  the  fairest  portions  of  the 
globe. 

GIBRALTAR    IMPREGNABLE. — ITS   HISTORY. 

Gibraltar  is  impregnable.  With  provisions  and 
water  for  a  long  siege,  manned  by  10,000  men,  all 
the  navies  of  the  world  combined  could  make  no  im- 
pression on  her  walls.  And  no  army,  however 
numerous,  could  approach  it  across  the  narrow 
sandy  strip  of  neutral  ground  which  connects  it 
with  the  mainland.  This  approach  can  be  sub- 
merged, and  a  thousand  guns  from  the  galleries 
along  the  northern  face  frown  down  upon  it. 

We  had  a  rare  opportunity  of  seeing  in  operation 
the  defensive  qualities  of  this  great  fortress.  Lord 
Napier  had  just  been  appointed  commander  of 
the  fortress.  It  is  customary  for  every  new  com- 
mander to  visit  all  the  batteries  and  to  see  all  the 
guns  along  the  shore  batteriej:  fired.  We  were 
standing  on  the  top  of  the  central  rock  at  the 
signal  station  when  this  grand  display  opened.  The 
commander,  with  his  staff,  commenced  with  the 
southern  batteries  on  the  shore,  and  passed  on 
northward  from  one  to  another  along  a  line  of  two 
and  a  half  miles.  First  we  would  see  the  fire  belch- 
ing forth ;  then  clouds  of  smoke  rising  and  rolling  up 

9* 


--laii 


202 


GIBRALTAR, 


GIBRALTAR. 


I 


the  sides  of  the  rock ;  then  slowly  broke  upon  the 
ear  the  thunder  of  the  huge  guns,  which  shook  the 
mountain  to  its  foundations  and  re-echoed  back 
from  the  rock  until  it  was  lost  far  away  amid  the 
mountains  of  Spain  and  Africa.  About  twenty  ar- 
tillerymen manned  each  gun.  At  a  certain  word  of 
command  they  put  in  a  cartridge ;  at  another  they 
rammed  it  home ;  at  another  they  ran  the  gun  out 
of  the  port-hole ;  at  another  elevated  or  lowered  her 
muzzle,  as  the  lieutenant  sighted  her;  at  another 
they  pulled  the  lanyard  which  fires  the  cap. 

It  was  a  magnificent  sight,  and  those  eighty-ton 
gtSHS,  belching  forth  fire  and  smoke,  and  shaking 
the  rock  by  their  thunder,  gave  a  vivid  idea  of  what 
the  terrible  reality  would  be  were  the  thousands  of 
these  black  monsters,  bristling  all  over  the  great  for- 
tress, turned  on  some  devoted  enemy.  Except  by 
treachery  or  starvation,  Gibraltar  never  can  be 
taken. 

Its  history  for  two  thousand  years  past  has  been  a 
romance.  It  has  been  associated  with  the  great 
struggles  between  Paganism  and  Christianity,  and 
between  Christianity  and  Mohammedanism.  The 
Phoenicians,  as  long  ago  as  the  time  of  Jonah,  knew 
the  Straits.  They  called  the  Rock  Kalpe.  It  seems 
never  to  have  been  occupied  as  a  fortress  until  the 
Moors,  under  the  fiery  Tarik,  took  it  in  711.  He 
called  it  after  his  own  name,  Gebal  Tarik,  or  the  Hill 


/ 


f 


203 


of  Tarik,  which  name,  through  the  transmutation  of 
language,  has  become  Gibraltar.  An  old  castle  is 
still  standing  about  half-way  up  the  rock,  which  was 
built  by  the  Moors  in  the  eighth  century. 

Gibraltar  was  taken  from  the  Moors  in  1309  by 
Spain,  since  which  the  arms  of  the  city  have  been 
a  castle  with  a  gate,  and  a  key  hanging  from  it,  sig- 
nifying that  this  was  the  key  of  the  Straits,  as  it  has 
ever  since  been.  In  1333  the  Moors  again  took  the 
fortress,  and  held  it  till  1462.  The  English  and  Dutch 
forces  took  it  in  the  war  of  the  succession,  while 
fighting  in  the  cause  of  Archduke  Charles  in  1704, 
and  although  at  first  they  considered  it  a  "  barren 
rock  "  and  a  "  useless  charge,"  the  English  have  ever 
since  held  it.  It  was  besieged  in  1779  t>y  the  allied 
powers  of  France  and  Spain,  and  the  siege  lasted 
four  years.  It  was  conducted  with  all  the  skill 
and  with  all  the  accessories  then  known  to  the 
assailants.  But  on  the  famous  13th  of  vSeptem- 
ber,  1783,  their  formidable  floating  batteries  were 
destroyed  by  the  English  under  "  Old  Elliott."  He 
saved  the  jewel  to  the  English  crown,  and  here  he 
died,  and  here  he  was  buried,  and  his  monument 
now  stands  ever  overlooking  the  scene  of  his  heroic 
defence. 

Gibraltar  is  an  English  Colony ;  the  law  of  Eng- 
land is  administered  in  Gibraltar.  The  Judge  Ad- 
vocate has  cognizance  of  all  cases  in  civil  matters, 


204 


GIBRALTAR, 


and  an  appeal  lies  from  his  decision  to  the  Privy 
Council  in  England  in  all  cases  involving  over  ;^3oo. 
There  is  a  large  police  force,  under  a  police  magis- 
trate, who  is  charged  with  keeping  the  peace  among 
civilians ;  but  the  military  code  is  administered  in  the 
garrison. 


TANGIER. 

About  thirty  miles  distant  from  Gibraltar,  diago- 
nally  across  the  Straits,  lies  Tangier,  the  seaport  of 
Morocco,  situated  at  the  head  of  a  long  open  bay. 
Gibraltar  could  hardly  exist  without  Tangier.      It 
obtains  from  thence  all  its  beef,  chickens  and  eggs. 
The  Rock  of  Gibraltar  is  absolutely  barren.     Not  a 
vegetable  or  a  spire  of  grass  grows  there.     Two  or 
three  times  a  week  a  steamer  plies  between  Gibraltar 
and  Tangier   for  traffic.     Here  reside  the  Consuls 
and   Ministers  to    Morocco.      The  city  is  built   of 
white  stone,  on  a  hill  sloping  backward  from  the 
shore  to  a  lofty  eminence,  crowned  with  a  castle,  the 
residence  of  the  Governor,  and  containing  the  prison, 
filled  with  the  most  disgusting  specimens  of  human- 
ity in   filth   and  rags,  all  huddled   together  in  one 
room.    There  were  fifty  or  more  of  the  most  des- 
perate-looking men,  some  with  chains  on  their  legs. 
Here  they  are  allowed  to  starve,  unless  their  friends 
help  them,  for  they  receive  nothing  but  a  little  bread 

and  water. 

The  will  of  the  Emperor,  as  he  is  called,  is  the 
law,  and  all  crimes  are  punished  according  to  the 
whim  of  the  pasha  who  governs  the  province.     But 


206 


TANGIER. 


summary  punishment  produces  a  good  effect,  and 
crimes  are  of  rare  occurrence.  The  captain  of  the 
steamer  told  me  he  often  brought  from  Tangier  to 
Gibraltar  fifty  thousand  silver  dollars  at  a  time,  and 
that  he  had  never  lost  one,  and  that  droves  of  cattle 
are  constantly  cofulfig  from  the  interior,  and  not  one 
was  ever  stolen.  The  punishment  for  petty  theft  is 
to  be  put  naked  on  a  donkey  and  driven  through  the 
streets  by  soldiers,  who  lash  the  back  of  the  victim 
until  it  streams  with  blood,  while  he  is  obliged  to 
proclaim  aloud  his  crimes.  If  a  robbery  is  commit- 
ted on  travelers  in  any  district,  the  Government  levies 
on  the  district  twice  the  amount  stolen,  and  the 
Sheik  is  obliged  to  collect  it.  Any  traveler  into  the 
rural  districts  is  furnished  by  his  Consul  with  a 
Government  soldier  as  guard.  The  soldier  is  respons- 
ible with  his  life  for  the  return  of  his  traveler. 

Tangier  has  about  12,000  inhabitants,  about  one- 
half  of  whom  are  Jews  and  the  remainder  Mohamme- 
dans from  all  Arabic-speaking  countries.  The  ances- 
tors of  the  Jews  fled  from  Spain  when  banished  by 
Charles  V.  There  are  no  fine  buildings  in  the  city.  It 
has  two  mosques  of  small  dimensions,  but  so  sacred 
that  no  Christian  is  allowed  to  set  foot  in  them.  The 
most  striking  objects  in  Tangier  are  the  Moorish  men 
and  Jewish  women.  There  are  no  finer  specimens  of 
humanity  than  some  of  the  Moors  we  saw  here.  They 
were  six  and  a  half  feet  tall,  of  fine  proportions,  digni- 


TANGIER, 


207 


fied  carriage,  high  forehead,  black  beard,  large,  soft 
black  eyes,  with  a  natural  dignity  and  grace,  and  a 
walk  like  a  king.  When  dressed,  with  a  fine  robe  of 
white  hanging  gracefully  over  his  shoulders,  with  a 
white  turban,  bound  with  red  or  green,  and  everything 
about  him  scrupulously  clean,  he  is  a  picture  of  all 
that  is  grand  in  the  human  frame.  We  could  under- 
stand the  love  of  Desdemona  for  the  Moor  of  Ven- 
ice. These  are  the  true  descendants  of  the  Berber 
race  which  conquered  Spain,  and  who,  single-handed, 
were  always  more  than  a  match  for  the  bravest  and 
proudest  knights  of  Spain  in  the  days  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella.  It  is  said  that  the  Queen  refused  to 
allow  her  knights  to  accept  the  challenges  of  the 
Moors  to  single  combat,  for  the  Moors  were  found 
to  be  the  best  warriors. 

The  Moors  who  fled  from  Granada  came  to  this 
part  of  Africa.  They  brought  with  them  their  title 
deeds  to  the  lands  held  by  them  in  Spain,  and  their 
descendants  now  in  Tangier  and  Tetuan  still,  after 
the  lapse  of  four  centuries,  hold  these  deeds  against 
the  day  when  they  shall  return  across  the  Straits 
and  be  restored  to  their  former  possessions,  which 
they  firmly  believe  is  to  be  their  destiny. 
-  Moorish  women  are  never  seen  in  the  streets,  but 
I  am  told  by  ladies  who  reside  here  that  they  are 
finer  looking  than  the  men.  Jewish  women  are  seen 
in  the    street,  and    we  can  testify  to  their  great 


I ' 


208 


TANGIER. 


beauty.  They  have  fine  eyes,  rich  brunette  com- 
plexion, a  graceful  walk,  and  are  well  proportioned 
and  always  well  dressed.  A  Moorish  wedding  is  the 
thing  to  see  in  Tangier.  The  bridegroom  pays  for 
his  bride  to  her  father  $40  and  upward,  according  to 
the  means  and  station  of  the  parties.  The  mar- 
riage is  a  civil  contract  entered  into,  written  out, 
and  signed  before  a  notary.  On  the  night  of  the 
wedding,  after  the  marriage,  the  bride  is  carried  in 
a  covered  chair  through  the  streets,  with  music  and 
fireworks,  to  the  house  of  the  groom.  There  is  a 
general  entertainment  for  men  in  one  room  and 
women  in  another,  at  the  house  of  the  bride's 
father,  on  the  eve  of  the  wedding,  where  tea,  coffee 
and  sweets  are  given.  The  ladies  are  allowed  to 
see  the  bride  dressed,  and  I  was  told  by  some 
English  ladies  at  the  British  Consulate  that  the 
dress  of  the  bride  in  high  life  was  magnificent.  All 
the  dowry  of  the  bride  goes  for  this,  as  it  sometimes 
does  in  other  enlightened  countries.  The  wedding 
is  witnessed  only  by  the  parents  of  the  bride  and 
bridegroom.  The  ceremony  is  at  the  house  of  the 
bride's  father,  and  never  at  the  mosque,  for  the 
women  go  to  the  mosque  only  once  a  year.  The 
bridegroom  sees  his  bride  for  the  first  time  on  the 
night  of  the  wedding,  when  he  takes  her  to  his  own 
home.  I  asked  my  guide,  a  splendid-looking 
Moor:  "Suppose  he  does  not   like   his  wife  when 


TANGIER, 


209 


he  sees  her,  what  then  ?  "     Said  he,  "  Then  he  can 

get  another." 

Another  thing  to  see  in  Tangier  is  the  market  on 
market  day.     It  is  held  just  outside  the  walls,  on 
the  landward  side,  in  a  large  square,  where  almost 
every  imaginable  thing  is  for  sale  by  men  in  every 
imaginable  garb.     Camels  from  Fez  file  in  with  their 
loads  ;  donkeys  from  the  country  with  eggs,  chickens 
and  vegetables.    There  are  oranges  by  the  million, 
grain,  salt,  and  dry  goods.    All  these  things  are  scat- 
tered  about  in  heaps,  and  beside  them  squat  groups 
of  Arabs,  each  with  a  loose-flowing  garment,  like  a 
cloak,  with  a  hood  thrown  over  the  head  ;    while 
walking  about  you  see  the  aristrocratic  Moor,  with 
his  large  turban,  white,  flowing  dress  and  yellow  slip- 
pers;  the   rich  Jew   in  his  broadcloth  mantle  and 
silk  vest ;  the  black  merchant  from  Timbuctoo,  and 
the  dark  African,  with  his  face  scarred  by  his  cap- 
tors—all meet  here  in  one  strange  medley,  seen  no- 
where else  except  in  Mohammedan  cities. 

Tangier  ought  to  be  and  will  be  a  great  city.  It 
is  situate  in  the  midst  of  the  Straits,  where  passes 
the  commerce  of  all  nations,  and  where  the  com- 
merce of  North-eastern  Africa,  even  to  the  interior 
deserts,  centres,  and  it  has  a  good  climate.  Here  those 
seeking  health  may  come,  and  here  the  artist  may 
find  a  Moorish  city  full  of  quaint  subjects  for  his  pen- 
cil and  a  country  around  full  of  all  natural  grandeur. 


MOROCCO. 

The  northern  coast  of  Africa  was  once  one  of  the 
strongholds  of  the  false  prophets,  and  from  thence 
they  threatened  the  liberty  of  Europe.  They  first 
broke  up  into  independent  powers,  and  now  these 
have  nearly  run  their  race.  Morocco  is  now  a  king- 
dom of  about  230,000  square  miles,  or  one-sixth 
larger  than  France.  It  extends  along  the  Atlantic 
from  the  Straits  southward  from  700  to  800  miles, 
and  along  the  Mediterranean  from  the  Straits  about 
250  miles,  and  south  from  the  Mediterranean  about 
500  miles,  and  reaches  into  the  Desert.  It  is  com- 
posed of  mountainous  ranges,  which  run  north-east 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mediterranean,  with  fertile 
intervening  valleys,  which  are  well  watered  by  rivers 
which  flow  from  the  water-shed  into  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Mediterranean  on  one  side,  and  into  the 
Desert,  where  they  are  swallowed  up,  on  the  other. 
One  of  these  rivers  —  the  Muluya — is  400  miles 
long,  and  is  the  boundary  between  Morocco  and 
Algeria. 

Fez,  which  is  about  75  or  1 00  miles  south  of  the 
Straits  is  the  capital  where  the  Emperor — or  the  Sul- 
tan, as  he  is  also  called — resides.     It  is  in  a  wide,  fer- 


MOROCCO, 


211 


!;! 


\ 


tile  valley,  between  parallel  chains  of  mountains. 
Between  these  mountains  the  climate  is  delightful, 
scarcely  ever  falling  below  40  degrees  or  rising  above 
90.  The  slopes  of  the  mountains  looking  down  on 
the  Straits  and  facing  the  Atlantic  are  beautifully 
wooded  and  afford  delightful  winter  residences  for 
invalids  from  Europe  and  America,  and  summer  resi- 
dences for  the  inhabitants  of  Gibraltar  and  the 
southern  coast  of  Spain.  The  mountains  shield 
them  from  the  hot  winds  of  the  Desert,  and  the 
cool  breezes  of  the  Atlantic  preserve  a  salubrious 
temperature.  There  is  a  wide  range  of  products, 
among  which  are  wheat,  barley,  maize,  rice,  sugar- 
cane, figs,  pomegranates,  lemons,  oranges,  dates, 
cotton,  tobacco  and  hemp. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  such  a  country,  with  such 
a  climate  and  such  a  variety  of  products,  is  destined 
to  sustain  a  large  and  civilized  population,  and  in 
the  near  future  it  will  be  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant parts  of  Africa.  It  would  not  Surprise  us 
to  awake  some  morning  and  find  that  it  had 
been  annexed  to  England.  They  would  then  con- 
trol both  ends  and  the  middle  of  the  Mediterranean. 
Two-thirds  of  the  entire  trade  of  Morocco  is  now  in 
the  hands  of  British  merchants.  Caravans  of  camels 
from  Soudan  and  Southern  Morocco  may  be  seen 
filing  into  Tangier — the  only  port  of  Morocco — 
loaded  with  drugs,  red,  yellow  and  green  leather, 


212 


MOROCCO. 


wool,  hides,  cotton  and  tobacco ;  and  they  bear  back 
cotton,  linen  and  muslin  goods,  sugar  and  tea,  even 
as  far  as  Timbuctoo,  all  of  which  comes  from  Eng- 
land. Immense  amounts  of  beef,  eggs  and  poultry 
are  taken  to  Gibraltar.  The  captain  of  the  Gibraltar 
steamer  told  me  that  some  days  he  carried  across 
the  Straits  500,000  eggs,  which  cost  in  Tangier  80 
cents  per  100,  and  oranges,  we  found,  were  25  cents 
per  100.  Beef  was  sold  for  $7  per  100  pounds.  One 
hundred  head  of  cattle  were  taken  to  Gibraltar  on 
the  steamer  with  us.  They  were  brought  along- 
side in  a  scow.  A  noose  was  put  round  their  horns, 
which  by  a  rope  was  fastened  to  a  steam  wind- 
lass on  board  the  steamer.  In  one-half  minute 
the  animal  is  raised  by  his  horns  into  the  air  before 
he  has  time  to  struggle,  and  swung  round  over  the 
steamer  and  then  let  down  into  the  hold. 

The  Sultan  is  supposed  to  be  the  owner  of  the 
soil,  and  it  is  rented,  as  in  Egypt,  to  tenants  at  a 
very  low  rate,  and  the  land  descends  to  the  heir  of 
the  tenant,  subject  to   the  rental.    The  taxes  are 
very  light,  but  the  revenue  is  raised  chiefly  from  ex- 
port and  import  duty.     The  Sultan  owes  a  national 
debt,  incurred  in  the  war  with  Spain,  but  he  pays  his 
interest,  and  in  this  respect  his  government  does  not 
suffer  in  comparison  with  that  of  many  of  our  States. 
As  he  is  an  arbitrary  prince,  and  his  word  is  the  law 
of  the  land,  he  has  only  to  impose  a  tax  on  one  or 


MOROCCO, 


213 


more  of  the  twenty-nine  districts  and  the  governor 
must  collect  it. 

Not  only  are  there  beautiful  winter  residences 
along  the  wooded  slopes  of  the  Straits,  but  the 
means  of  living  are  abundant  and  cheap,  and  the 
sports  are  excellent.  There  are  here  plenty  of  par- 
tridge, hare  and  rabbits,  but  the  great  sport  is  the 
boar  hunt.  We  saw  on  Sunday  morning  a  company 
of  about  twenty  ladies  and  gentlemen,  English  and 
French,  on  horseback,  leaving  Tangier  for  the  hills 
about  ten  miles  distant.  The  hunters  are  allowed 
no  weapon  but  a  spear.  From  fifty  to  one  hundred 
men  are  employed  to  beat  up  the  bush  and  drive 
the  animals  out  into  the  open,  when  the  sport  com- 
mences by  running  down  the  boar.  When  he  turns 
at  bay  he  is  an  ugly  customer,  but  the  poor  dogs  and 
horses  generally  bear  the  brunt  of  the  fight. 


MALAGA. 

The  traveler  should  either  approach  or  leave 
Gibraltar  by  water.  From  the  harbor  and  the 
Straits  only  can  you  see  the  mighty  proportions  of 
this  fortress  at  one  glance,  and  see  how  grandly  iso- 
lated it  stands,  dominating  the  great  highway  of  the 
nations. 

We  sailed  from  Gibraltar  in  a  small  steamer  for 
Malaga,  a  distance  df  about  fifty  miles.  We  pass 
from  the  northwest  side  of  the  Rock  entirely  around 
to  the  north-east  side  of  it,  passing  Rock  Gun  Point 
on  the  north,  under  the  line  of  frowning  batteries, 
rank  above  rank  on  the  west  side,  past  the  signal 
tower  on  the  highest  central  point,  and  bend  around 
Calpe,  the  southern  point  from  whose  tower  you  can 
see  over  the  mountains  into  the  harbor  of  Cadiz 
seventy  miles  away  to  the  north-west.  From  every 
different  point  of  observation  the  rock  presents  an 
entirely  different  appearance.  Immediately  on  pass- 
ing the  southern  extremity,  Europa  Point,  to  the 
east,  the  Straits  widen  to  the  north,  and  here  com- 
mences the  Mediterranean. 

It   is  said  by  geologists  that  the  sea  was  once 


MALAGA. 


215 


separated  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  at  the  Straits, 
and  that  the  two  continents  were  here  united.  As 
we  continue  our  course  eastward  the  Rock  is  the 
one  grand  object  in  view,  but  always  receding,  until 
we  reach  and  turn  the  headlands  of  Malaga,  when  it 
suddenly  vanishes  from  sight.  As  we  turn  this  long 
promontory,  Malaga  bursts  upon  our  view,  nestled 
between  the  mountains  and  the  sea. 

It  lies  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  a  beautiful 
vega,  9  miles  wide  by  18  miles  long,  bounded  by  the 
snow-capped  mountains  of  Granada  on  the  north-east, 
by  the  mountains  of  Ronda  on  the  north,  and  washed 
by  the  waves  of  the  Mediterranean  on  the  south.  Its 
atmosphere  is  tempered  in  summer  by  the  snow- 
clad  mountains,  and  in  winter  by  the  sea-breezes 
from  the  shores  of  Africa.  It  is  watered  by  artificial 
irrigation  from  the  mountains.  Nothing  can  sur- 
pass its  fertility  and  the  variety  of  its  productions. 
The  gardens  in  January  were  filled  with  roses  and 
flowers ;  immense  orchards  of  oranges  were  on  every 
hand  loaded  with  fruit.  The  almond,  the  pome- 
granate, the  palm,  the  sugar-cane,  the  grape,  the 
olive,  and  all  kinds  of  grain  were  abundant. 

As  we  were  obliged  to  land  from  the  steamer  in 
little  boats,  we  became  the  prey  of  boatmen  who 
charged  us  what  they  pleased.  They  held  our  bag- 
gage until  their  demands  were  paid,  while  the 
policemen  looked   on    as    disinterested   spectators. 


\  J 


2l6 


MALAGA. 


without  interference,    Boatmen,  Cabmen,  and  por- 
ters  have  their  own  way  in  most  cities  of  Spain. 

Malaga  has  an  air  of  thrift  and  business  unusual 
for  Spain.  The  streets  are  made  narrow,  for  the 
summer  climate  requires  this;  but  new  streets  are 
being  opened,  and  large,  fine  houses  are  being 
erected.  There  are  here  manufactories  of  sugar  and 
two  cotton  mills  which  employ  4,000  men,  beside 
manufactories  of  iron,  lead  and  licorice.  The  finest 
raisins  are  cured  here,  and  certain  kinds  of  wine  are 
made  here,  such  as  the  sweet  muscatel  and  montilla, 
which  have  a  wide  repiitation,  but  which  are  too  deli- 
cate to  be  exported.  The  business  streets  are  full  of 
activity,  and  at  night  are  brilliantly  lighted.  The 
caf6s  are  numerous  and  large,  well-lighted  and  dec- 
orated, and  in  the  evening  filled  with  all  classes  of 
the  people,  both  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  much 
as  if  the  Bowery  boys  and  Fifth  Avenue  gentlemen 
should  meet  at  Delmonico*s.  There  seems  to  be  less 
social  distinction  in  Spain  than  in  any  other  country. 
You  will  often  meet  a  man  clothed  in  rags  ready  to 
receive  a  gratuity.  Yet  his  dilapidated  cloak  covers 
a  haughty  aristocrat,  proud  of  his  high  descent, 
which  secures  him  respect  from  those  appparently 
above  him  in  social  life.  In  these  caf^s  they  sit 
around  small  tables,  enjoy  their  sweet  drinks  with  a 
few  cheap  cakes,  every  one  talking  vociferously, 
every  one  smoking,  while  a  band  of  music  adds  a 


MALAGA. 


217 


% 


sweet  element  to  the  confusion.  But  there  is  no 
carousing,  and  no  strong  drink  or  drunkenness.  In 
many  of  the  caf^s  there  are  billiard  tables,  plays, 
and  dances. 

Malaga  has  a  large  modern  cathedral  built  on  the 
site  of  the  grand  mosque  of  the  Moors  of  which 
nothing  remains  but  a  fine  Gothic  portal.  The 
cathedral  was  commenced  in  1538  and  completed 
in  1719,  and  combines  some  of  the  bad  features  of 
all  modern  styles  of  architecture.  It  has  three  lofty 
naves,  with  heavy  massive  Corinthian  pillars  with 
highly  ornamented  capitals,  but  without  grace  or 
beauty,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  lofty  dome  300  feet 
high.  The  population  is  110,000;  the  harbor  is  small 
but  convenient,  and  filled  with  shipping.  The  hotels 
are  large  and  airy,  usually  surrounding  a  spacious 
court  with  a  fountain  in  the  centre  and  filled  with 
flowers.  There  are  beautiful  plazas  in  the  city  filled 
with  trees  and  fountains.  It  has  just  completed 
water-works,  which  bring  a  great  supply  of  cool, 
pure  water  from  the  mountains  nine  miles  distant. 
Malaga  has  a  history  which  reaches  back  to  imme- 
morial antiquity.  It  was  probably  founded  by  the 
Phoenicians,  and  became  in  turn  Carthagenian,  Ro- 
man, Gothic,  Moorish  and  Christian.  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella  took  it  from  the  Moors  in  1487,  after 
a  dreadful  and  protracted  siege,  in  which  the  women 
and  children  perished  from  starvation.     Heavy  guns 


10 


2l8 


MALAGA. 


called  Lombards  won  the  victory  for  the  Christians. 
The  Moors  were,  through  all  this  struggle,  a  match 
for  the  Christians  in  the  open  field,  but  powder  and 
guns  recently  brought  from  Germany  won  the  day. 
As  Napoleon  once  said,  "Providence  was  on  the  side 
which  had  the  heaviest  artillery."  The  wary  Fer- 
dinand induced  the  people  to  surrender  their  money, 
jewels  and  property  as  part  payment  for  their  free- 
dom, and  then  gave  them  eight  months  in  which  to 
raise  the  balance  among  their  friends.  Ill  this  way 
he  induced  them  not  to  secrete  their  valuables. 
After  stripping  15,000  people  of  all  they  had  and 
setting  them  to  begging  among  their  friends  for  the 
remainder  of  the  ransom,  he  sold  them  all  into  per- 
petual slavery  on  their  failure  to  pay  the  full  amount. 
The  ancient  chronicles,  as  copied  by  Irving,  describes 
the  wail  of  these  poor  people  when  driven  from 
their  homes  as  heart-rending  beyond  description. 
To  the  stranger,  Malaga  seems  one  of  the  most 
delightful  cities  of  Spain.  The  climate  is  especially 
adapted  to  invalids.  It ^  has  a  very  dry  atmosphere 
and  constant  sunlight.  It  is  said  that  rain  falls  on 
only  twenty-nine  days  in  the  year,  and  then  only  for 
a  few  hours  in  each  day.  Its  climate  is  one  of  the 
most  equable  in  Europe.  In  summer  it  is  open  to 
the  breezes  from  the  sea,  and  resort  can  be  had  to 
any  altitude  among  the  mountains.  In  winter  it  is 
sheltered  from  the  winds  by  mountains  at  the  north 


MALAGA. 


219 


and  east,  so  that  frost  is  unknown.  The  snow-clad 
mountains  are  in  sight  on  one  side  and  the  blue 
Mediterranean  on  the  other.  Surely  this  rich  and 
smiling  vega  of  Malaga,  with  all  its  beauty  and 
fertility,  with  its  sunlight  and  sea  breezes,  its  moun- 
tains and  the  Mediterranean,  is,  as  the  Moors  were 
accustomed  to  call  it,  "  Paradise  on  Earth." 


MALAGA  TO   CORDOVA. 

We  have  only  two  ways  of  egress  from  Malaga, 
one  by  water  along  the  coast  north-east  to  Valencia, 
and  the  other  by  railroad  northward  to  Cordova. 
As  we  desire  to  pass  out  of  Spain  by  way  of  Valla- 
dolid,  Burgos  and  Irun,  we  take  the  latter.  Our 
way  lies  to  the  north-west  up  through  the  vega  for 
about  twenty  miles.  In  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  we 
pass  the  large  manufactories  of  wine,  sugar  and  cot- 
ton ;  then  the  beautiful  villas  of  the  rich  citizens  of 
Malaga,  surrounded  by  gardens  filled  with  every 
variety  of  tropical  trees,  fruits  and  flowers.  Arti- 
ficial streams  of  water  for  irrigation  are  flowing  on 
every  hand.  It  is  early  in  January  and  before  seven 
o*clock  in  the  morning,  yet  the  air  is  genial  and 
balmy  as  we  rapidly  ascend  toward  the  mountains 
through  this  beautiful  vega.  As  the  sun  rose  over 
the  lofty  hills  and  threw  its  light  into  this  valley, 
it  seemed  a  fairy  land  too  beautiful  for  this  world. 


220 


MALAGA    TO  CORDOVA. 


The  air  was  fragrant  from  the  groves  of  oranges, 
which  extended  for  miles  on  every  side,  loaded  with 
the  golden  fruit.     The  roses  and  the  almond  trees 
were  in  bloom.     The  sound  of  flowing  waters  from 
the   hills  was   everywhere    heard,    and    the    swift 
streams  glistened  through  the  green  foliage  in  every 
direction.    The  Moors  here  brought  agriculture  to 
a  state  of  perfection.      And  here  their  works  for 
irrigation  still  continue  and   carry  water  to  every 
tree  in  the  whole  vega.     The  mountains,  covered 
with  perpetual  snow,  are  the  perennial   source  of 
these  waters  during  the  summer,  and  no  stream  is 
allowed  to  run  its  free  course  to  the  sea.      It  is 
captured   far  up   among  the  hills,  diverted    in  all 
directions,  divided  and  subdivided  as  it  descends,  go- 
ing from  farm  to  farm,  from  garden  to  garden,  from 
tree  to  tree,  until  its  poetry  and  even  itself  is  lost 
in  practical  utility.     Here  the  palm  and  the  grape 
abound  and  here  are  produced  the  famous  wines, 
the  Muscatel  and  Montilla,  while  the  common  wine, 
Valdepenas,  furnished  free  in  all  hotels  in  Spain,  is 
here  remarkably  fine,  and  can  be  purchased  for  thirty 
or  forty  cents  per  gallon.     Having  passed  up  this 
charming  valley  about  twenty  miles,  we  come  face 
to  face  with  the  mountains,  with  no  way  apparent 
through  them.     Suddenly  we  strike  upon  and  follow 
the  little  stream,  the  Guadalhorce,  piercing  its  way 
through   the  wildest   gloomy  gorges,  with   perpen- 


MALAGA    TO   CORDOVA. 


221 


dicular  walls  of  rock  on  each  side,  grand,  weird  and 
strange,  where  the  little  stream  and  the  railroad 
contend  for  the  passage.  This  wonderful  gorge — 
called  by  the  Spaniards  the  Hoyo  or  the  grave — is 
equal  to  the  wildest  scenery  of  Switzerland,  and 
almost  rivals  the  royal  gorge  of  the  Arkansas  in 
Colorado.  With  scarcely  room  for  a  locomotive  to 
pass,  we  wind  between  the  rocky  wall  through  miles 
of  tunnels,  under  the  mountain,  along  by  precipices, 
over  bridges  and  viaducts,  until  we  emerge  upon  a 
high  plateau  1400  feet  above  Malaga.  Here  the 
whole  aspect  of  nature  is  changed.  Instead  of  the 
warm  salubrious  air  of  the  vega  of  Malaga,  where  no 
frost  ever  comes,  we  breathe  the  crisp,  sharp  air  of 
the  mountains,  with  frost  and  ice  all  around  us. 
We  are  now  on  the  high  plateau  of  central  Spain, 
and  are  approaching  Teba,  a  small  place  where  are 
situated  the  estates  of  the  ex-Empress  Eugenie.  Be- 
fore her  marriage  she  was  countess  of  Teba.  From 
her  lofty  throne  she  has  descended  to  again  take  her 
place  as  countess  of  a  little  domain  far  up  among 
the  hills  of  Andalusia  ;  so  easily  do  they  make  and 
unmake  emperors  and  empresses,  kings  and  queens, 
in  France  and  Spain.  Here  we  bid  farewell  to 
orange  groves,  the  palm  and  the  vine,  and  now  come 
upon  immense  orchards  of  olives.  They  cover  the 
whole  country,  hills,  valleys  and  plains.  As  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach  it  is  one  continuous  forest  of  green, 


222 


MALAGA    TO   CORDOVA, 


with  here  and  there  an  immense  mill  for  grinding 
the  fruit  standing  upon  the  hills.  The  distant  moun- 
tain sides  are  covered  with  immense  flocks  of  sheep 
guarded  by  shepherds.  At  Cordova  we  strike  the 
road  which  brought  us  from  Madrid,  and  by  this  we 
return  to  the  capital. 


MADRID    TO   BAYONNE. 

The  distance  from  Madrid  to  the  frontier  of 
France  is  about  400  miles.  The  journey  can  be 
made  in  twenty  hours  of  continuous  traveling.  It 
will  take  us  through  Avila,  Medina  del  Campo,  Val- 
ladolid  and  Burgos.  Each  of  these  places  is  worthy 
of  a  visit.  About  seventy-five  miles  from  Madrid 
we  reach 

AVILA, 

a  little  city  of  about  six  thousand  inhabitants,  set 
upon  a  hill  with  an  extended  view  of  plain  on  one 
side  and  mountains  on  the  other.  It  is  beautiful  for 
situation,  surrounded  by  a  perfect  wall  of  granite  40 
feet  high  and  12  feet  thick,  which  is  surmounted  by 
towers,  so  that  the  city  was  once  considered  an  im- 
pregnable fortress. 

Its  altitude  is  so  great,  and  its  surroundings  of 
vega  and  mountains  so  delightful,  that  it  affords  a 
cool  and  favorite  summer  resort  for  the  citizens  of 
Madrid.  It  has  a  cathedral  commenced  in  the 
eleventh  century,  and  numerous  churches,  some  of 
them  made  famous  as  the  burial  places  of  heroes  in 
Church  or  State. 

Avila  is  another  of  the  cities  which  the  Spaniards 
fondly  believe  was  built   by  Hercules.     With  the 


224 


A  VILA, 


well-known  twelve  labors  he  was  fated  to  perform, 
it  would  seem  that  he  had  sufficient  occupation 
without  building  most  of  the  cities  of  Spain.  Not- 
withstanding the  Spaniards  firmly  believe  in  Her- 
cules as  their  great  master  builder,  they  also  believe 
that  he  rent  a  way  between  Gibraltar  and  Ceuta  for 
the  Mediterranean  to  flow  into  the  Atlantic,  and  that 
he  erected  his  mighty  pillars  to  signalize  the  event. 

Avila  is  celebrated  as  the  birthplace  of  two  dis- 
tinguished characters.     The  first  was  Alfonso  Tos- 
tado  de  Madrigal,  who  died  in  1445,  whose  doctrines 
were  so  luminous,  says  his  biographer,  that  he  made 
the  blind  to  see,  "  though    Don  Quijote    declared 
them  more  voluminous  than  luminous.**  The  second 
was   "Our    Seraphic   Mother,    the    Holy    Theresa, 
Spouse  of  Jesus,"  born    here    15 15,   and  who  was 
made  lady  patroness   of  Spain  by  Philip  HI,  and, 
with  the  Virgin  Mary  and  St.   James,    shares  the 
honors  of  worship  in  all  Spain.     She  is  a  favorite 
subject  with  the  Spanish  painters,  and  her  pictures 
are  found  in  all  the  galleries  of  the  kingdom.     But 
St.  Theresa  was  not  a  mere  mythical  character.    She 
was  a  real  actor,  a  mystic  writer,  and  reformer  of  the 
Carmelite  Order.      She  was    translated  to   heaven, 
where  she  received  the  plans  for  nunneries  of  her 
order,  and  on  her  return  she  carried  out  those  plans 
in  founding  numerous  convents.     One  of  the  doc- 
trines which  she  taught  may  be  commended  to  the 


VALLADOLID. 


225 


consideration  of  the  theologians  of  our  day,  namely, 
that  the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked  consists  in 
the  impossibility  of  their  loving  or  being  loved. 

The  Spaniards  believe  that  Christ  himself  conveyed 
his  bride  to  heaven  at  her  death,  while  ten  thousand 
martyrs  gathered  around  her  dying  bed.  This 
makes  the  second  spouse  of  Christ  found  in  Spain, 
St.  Catherine  being  the  other — too  many  by  one. 

Continuing  our  journey  northward  for  about  fifty 
miles,  we  pass  Medina  del  Campo,  a  place  of  no 
especial  interest,  except  that  here  died  the  good 
Qupen  Isabella.  At  her  request  her  remains  were 
borne  by  a  grand  and  mournful  cavalcade  four  hun- 
dred miles  to  Granada  for  burial. 

About  twenty  miles  farther  north  lies  the  famous 
ancient  capital, 

VALLADOLID. 

It  is  a  city  of  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  but 
mainly  interesting  as  the  scene  of  great  historical 
events.  It  was  the  residence  of  the  Kings  of  Castile 
until  Philip  II  made  Madrid  the  capital,  in  1560. 

Here  died  Christopher  Columbus,  on  the  20th  of 
May,  15C6,  at  No.  7  Street  of  Columbus,  of  a  broken 
heart.  His  great  patroness.  Queen  Isabella,  had  died 
before,  and  with  her  died  his  last  hope  of  justice 
from  the  hands  of  her  wary,  selfish  and  politic  hus- 
band Ferdinand.    At  Salamanca,  about  sixty  miles 

southwest   of  Valladolid,    he    discussed  with    the 
10* 


226 


VALLADOLID. 


Augustine  monks  his  theory  of  the  rotundity  of  the 
earth.     There  his  arguments  were  refuted  by  Scrip- 
ture, and  he  was  declared  an  infidel.     And  now  we 
are  standing  by  the  house  where  he  closed  his  glori- 
ous career,  cheated  in  hfe  of  rewards  solemnly  prom- 
ised to  him,  and  ever  since  cheated  of  the  honor  of 
giving  his  name  to  the  continent  which  he  discovered. 
Even  his  bones  have  not  been  allowed  to  rest  in 
peace.     In  1536  they  were  borne  over  the  ocean  to 
San  Domingo,  and  from  thence  in  1795  to  Havana. 
Here  at  Valladolid  lived  Cervantes  while  he  was 
publishing    his  "Don    Quijote."     Here  was   born 
Philip  n,  and  here  he  celebrated  his  first  Auto  da 
F^,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Inquisition,  which  de- 
stroyed Spain,  by  putting  to  death  her  best  citizens, 
driving  out  the  Jews  and  Moors,  thus  banishing  all 
its  industry  and  thrift,  and  leaving  in  place  thereof 
haughty  superstition  and  indolence.     Well  have  the 
Jews  and  the  Moors  been  avenged.     The  blood  of 
the  Protestants  in  Holland,  of  the  Aztecs  in  Mexico, 
of  the  Incas  in  Peru,  of  the  thousands  tortured  by 
the   Inquisition,  has  called  to   heaven   for   retribu- 
tion.    It  has  been  the  most  priest-ridden,  poverty- 
stricken,  indolent,  ignorant,  and  superstitious  nation 
of  Europe.   Her  most  Catholic  sovereigns,  virgins,  and 
patron  saints  could  not  save  her.     She  has  for  three 
centuries  been  paying  the  penalty  of  a  century  of 
crime.  She  stands  as  a  warning  to  all  civilized  nations. 


BURGOS. 

At  Valladolid  the  railroad  turns  to  the  north-east, 
in  which  direction  lies  Burgos,  distant  about  ^ 
miles.  On  account  of  its  historical  associations,  its 
cathedral  and  other  venerable  edifices,  it  possesses 
great  interest. 

It  was  the  ancient  capital  of  Castile  and  Leon, 
and  has  been  the  dwelling-place,  and  is  the  burying- 
place,  of  many  distinguished  men  of  past  centuries. 

The  city  lies  in  the  plain  of  the  Arianzon,  which 
bounds  it  on  one  side,  while  a  lofty  hill,  crowned 
with  an  ancient  castle,  overiooks  and  dominates  it  on 
the  other.     The  ascent  to  the  castle  is  almost  per- 
pendicular for  hundreds  of  feet,  and  from  the  top 
you  see  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Pyrenees  at  the  north. 
Nearer,  the  fruitful  valley  of  the  Arianzon  spreads 
like  a  map  before  you,  while  at  your  feet  lies  the 
city,    filled   with    its   ancient   castles  of  kings   and 
princes ;  but  the  gem  of  all  is  the  cathedral,  which 
rears  its  elegant  and  stately  spires  immediately  be- 
neath your  gaze. 

Unlike  most  of  the  cities  of  Spain,  Burgos  has 
nothing  Moorish  in  its  architecture,  but  it  is  a  fair 
specimen  of  the  style  of  the  old  Gothic  Castilian 


228 


BURGOS, 


race.  Here,  after  the  irruption  of  the  Moors,  the 
scattered  remnants  of  the  Goths  began  to  gather 
their  forces,  and  at  last  became  consolidated  into  a 
new  kingdom,  until,  under  St.  Ferdinand,  it  became 
a  power  capable  of  coping  with  the  Moors.  From 
this  city,  as  his  capital,  he  carried  on  his  conquests 
against  the  infidels,  until  he  wrested  Cordova  from 
them  in  1235. 

In  these  ages  of  the  Crusades,  love  of  adventure 
and  military  renown  brought  here  to  the  aid  of  the 
Christians  large  numbers  of  the  military  religious 
orders  which  had  their  origin  in  Palestine,  such  as 
the  Knight  Templars,  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  the 
Teutonic  Knights.  From  the  same  causes  and  at 
this  time  arose  those  famous  Spanish  orders  of  Al- 
cantara and  Santiago,  composed  of  fanatics,  half 
priest  and  half  soldier,  of  whom  Cortez  was  a  fair 
specimen.  One  beautiful  remnant  of  the  Teutonic 
order  still  remains,  in  the  residence  of  the  Captain 
General,  which  was  once  the  castle  of  the  order.  The 
property  of  all  the  orders  has  long  since  been  confis- 
cated by  the  Crown. 

The  castle,  which  overlooks  the  city,  once  the 
residence  of  kings,  though  now  dilapidated,  is  full  of 
memories  of  centuries  gone  by. 

Here  the  Cid  was  married,  and  also  Edward  I,  of 
England,  to  Eleanor  of  Castile. 

Here  the  Cid  held  his  King  Alphonso  VI  as  cap- 


BURGOS, 


229 


tive,  till  he  exacted  an  oath  that  he  was  not  con- 
cerned in  the  assassination  of  his  brother.     This 
oath  was  administered  in  the  church  St.  Aguida 
just  at  the  foot  of  the  castle,  not  upon  the  Bible' 
but  upon  an  iron  lock,  which  is  still  hanging  on  the 
wall,  where  it  has  been  for  800  years.     The  fortress 
was  built  a  thousand  years  ago,  and  has  stood  many 
sieges  since.     Here  Wellington  besieged  the  French 
shut  up  in  this  castle  for  35  days,  but  was  obliged  to' 
retire  with  great  loss. 

The  cathedral  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  in 
Spain.     Inferior  buildings  crowd   upon  it,  so  that 
It  IS  difficult  to  get  a  good  view  of  its  exterior 
unless  we  ascend  to  the  castle.     There  its  beauti- 
ful proportions  and  tall,  fragile  spires  stand  out  in 
contrast  with  the   mean   buildings  about  it.     The 
west  front  has  two   spires  of  delicate  open  work 
300  feet  high,  and  on  the  centre  rises  a  beautiful 
dome,  200  feet  high,  surrounded  by  turrets  of  open 
work,  all  light,  graceful  and  chaste.     The  rich  carv- 
ing on  the  doorways  and  towers  reminds  you  of  the 
church  of  Notre  Dame,  of  Paris.     You  enter  one  of 
these    lofty  sculptured    doors,   with    its    beautiful 
Gothic  arch.     Three  naves,  300  feet  long  and  200 
feet    high,   supporte(j    by  massive    columns,   each 
crowned  by  a  perfect  Gothic  arch,  stretch  out  before 
you,  a  picture  of  perfect  architectural  proportions, 
symmetry  and  beauty.     At  the  transept  the  church 


230 


BURGOS. 


is  250  feet  broad,  and  here,  where  it  crosses  the  cen- 
tral nave,  rises  the  magnificent  dome,  or  lantern, 
which  gives  light  to  the  coro  and  the  high  altar. 

The  coro  is,  as  usual  in  Spanish  cathedrals,  in  the 
centre  of  the  church.  It  has  seats  for  a  choir  of 
over  100,  and  each  seat  is  most  elaborately  wrought 
in  mahogany,  illustrating  Bible  characters  and 
scenes ;  around  the  sides  of  the  exterior  naves  are  a 
large  number  of  chapels,  many  of  them  tombs  of 
distinguished  characters. 

These  chapels  contain  some  few  pictures  of  merit. 
One  has  a  crucifix,  carved  by  Nicodemus,  which 
traversed  the  sea  alone,  and  found  a  resting  place 
here. 

These  chapels  are  well  supplied  with  virgins, 
decked  out  in  tinselry  and  finery,  looking  much  like 
over-grown  and  over-dressed  dolls. 

One  would  suppose  if  they  must  have  a  Virgin  to 
worship  that,  under  the  inspiration  of  such  a  cathe- 
dral, they  could  mould  her  face  with  a  little  more 
art  and  dress  her  with  some  degree  of  taste,  and 
that  they  would  remember  that  she  was  a  meek 
and  lowly  maiden  of  Judea,  of  humble  life  and 
manners. 

How  would  she  have  appeared  walking  the  streets 
of  Nazareth  or  Jerusalem,  tricked  out  with  bits  of 
lace,  ribbons,  gilt  breast  pin,  bracelets  and  ear-rings. 
This  depraved  taste  is  shown  in  all  Catholic  coun- 


ts c/i^e^o^. 


231 


tries  where  the  influence  of  a  Raphael,  a  Murillo, 
a  Correggio  in  elevating  the  taste,  has  not  been 
able  to  counteract  the  debasing  influence  of  this 
corrupt  desire  in  the  uneducated  mind  for  the 
worship  of  graven  images.  Religion,  in  pandering 
to  this  desire,  has  brought  a  reproach  on  itself,  has 
turned  to  ridicule  one  of  the  most  unique,  pure  and 
lovely  characters  of  history,  and  degraded  her  to 
the  level  of  a  vulgar,  vain,  tawdry  woman. 

All  lovers  of  truth,  justice  and  religion  have  a 
right  to  protest,  as  we  now  do. 

The  Sacristy  had  many  valuable  vestments,  but 
not  equal  to  those  of  Seville.  But  it  contains  relics 
not  easy  to  be  seen  elsewhere. 

We  saw  here  a  piece  of  a  bone  of  the  Virgin 
Mother,  and  one  of  St.  Catherine,  St.  Anthony, 
St.  Augustine,  and  of  many  other  saints,  each  not 
larger  than  a  finger  nail. 

Here  also  was  a  drop  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  on  a 
coarse  cloth.  Each  relic  was  set  in  gold,  like  a 
precious  gem,  and  covered  with  a  glass.  They  were 
then  arranged  upon  a  large  gold  cross,  about  four 
feet  high,  which  with  all  the  relics  were  presented 
by  Pope  Clement  VH.  This  grand  cross  is  brought 
forth  in  procession  on  high  days,  and  is  worshiped 
like  any  other  idol. 

This  cathedral  has  one  picture  which  is  a  precious 
gem,  kept  veiled  from  sight  except  on  special  occa- 


232 


BURGOS, 


sions.  It  is  a  Magdalen,  in  the  Sacristy,  by  Leon- 
ardo da  Vinci,  a  sweet,  holy  face,  full  of  deep  emo- 
tion, where  repentance  and  faith  beam  from  her  up- 
turned eyes.  It  is  a  face  more  beautiful  than  that 
of  Mona  Lisa  by  the  same  artist.  The  common 
fame  that  even  the  Roman  Church  has  fastened 
upon  the  Magdalen  is  a  cruel  slander,  without  war- 
rant of  Scripture  ;  but  here  Leonardo  has  portrayed 
her  as  a  pure  and  holy  woman,  with  no  shadow  of 
earthly  taint. 

THE  CID 

We  cannot  leave  Burgos  without  doing  honor  to 
the  immortal  Cid,  the  very  Achilles  of  all  the  Span- 
ish heroes.  For  eight  centuries  his  exploits  have 
been  the  theme  of  ballad  and  song,  which  are  even 
now  sung  in  every  cottage  of  Castile.  He  was  not 
a  myth,  as  it  has  been  sometimes  represented.  His 
real  name  was  Don  Rodrigo  Diaz.  No  picture  of 
Burgos  would  be  complete  if  this  central  figure  was 
missing,  for  here  was  his  home ;  here  he  was  mar- 
ried ;  here  he  dictated  terms  to  princes ;  here  he 
sleeps  in  glory  among  his  admiring  countrymen. 
Under  St.  Ferdinand,  the  liberator  from  the  yoke 
of  the  Moors,  the  Cid  was  the  champion  of  the 
kingdom  and  of  Christians,  and  as  such,  often 
in  single  combat,  decided  the  issue  of  battle 
and  the  fate   of  the  kingdom.      Moors  and  Jews 


BURGOS, 


233 


were  his  especial  hatred.     His  exploits  against  in- 
fidels and  dragons,  as  told  in  story  and  song,  par- 
take  of  the  marvelous.     Having  killed    Count   Lo- 
anzo,  the  first  knight   and   nobleman  of  the   king- 
dom, to  avenge  an   insult   to  his    aged   father,  he 
was  ordered,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  times, 
to  make  recompense  by  marrying  the  daughter  of 
the  knight  he  had  slain,  and  thereafter  Xemina  be- 
came his  faithful  companion  in  all  his  expeditions. 
After  having  been  treated  with  neglect  and  ingrati- 
tude by  his  king,  he  gathered  a  band  of  warriors  of 
kindred  spirit,  and  with  them  he  wrested  the  whole 
province  of  Valencia  from  the  Moors,  and  established 
himself  as  ruler,  and  there  he  died  in   1091.      His 
body  was  brought  from  thence,  cased  in  mail,  sitting 
upright   on   his   favorite    horse,  Babieca,  and  was 
placed   in  a  chapel    near    Burgos    crowned    on  a 
throne,  with  his  sword,  Tisona,  in  his  hand.    A  pre- 
sumptuous  Jew  having  touched  his  beard  as  he  sat 
grim  in  death,  the  dead  warrior  raised  his  mailed 
arm  and  knocked  the  intruder  down,  whereupon  it 
became  necessary  to  bury  him.     His  bones  now  rest 
in  a  glass  case  in    the   town  hall  of   Burgos,  with 
those  of  his  beautiful  wife. 

In  the  Cathedral  of  Burgos,  in  the  sacristy,  fast- 
ened high  up  on  the  wall,  is  a  decaying  iron-bound 
coffer,  about  five  feet  square,  which  has  this  history : 
The  Cid,   being  in  want   of  ready  money,  per- 


234 


BURGOS, 


suaded  the  Jewish  bankers  that  this  chest  was  full 
of  gold,  and  he  pledged  it  as  security  for  a  loan  of 
six  hundred  marks.     It  was  found  filled  with  sand. 

To  his  honor  it  must  be  said  he  afterward  re- 
deemed his  pledge. 

The  ballads  of  a  people  probably  have  more  influ- 
ence upon  the  character  of  a  nation  than  any  other 
one  influence.  For  this  reason  the  Cid  has  done 
more  to  mould  Spanish  character  than  any  man  in 
its  history.  His  religious  fanaticism,  his  knightly 
valor,  his  haughty  courage,  his  proud,  imperious 
spirit,  breathed  through  song  and  ballad,  his  ro- 
mantic adventures,  read  in  every  home  in  Spain, 
where  little  else  is  read,  are  impressing  the  national 
character  to  this  day.  The  songs  we  sing  in  child- 
hood are  watchwords  through  our  life. 


THE     PYRENEES. 

At  Burgos  we  are   about  150  miles  from  Irun, 
where  we  leave  Spain  for  France.     The  road  rises 
gradually  for   icxD  miles,   until  we  come  upon  the 
Pyrenees,  with  their  lofty  peaks  around  us  covered 
with  snow.     It  is  a  grand  ride  through  them.     We 
wind  up  their  sides,  creep  along  the  face  of  preci- 
pices, make  our  way  into  one  valley,  follow  it  up 
until  there  is  no  way  around,  out  or  over  the  lofty 
heights ;  then  we  plunge  by  a  tunnel  into  the  very 
bowels  of  the  mountains,  and  emerge  into  another 
valley.     And  so  we  proceed  from  one  to  another  for 
fifty  miles.     The  mountains  are  cold,  desolate  and 
barren,   but   the  valleys  are   beautiful  pictures    of 
green  verdure,  watered  by  little  streams  from  the 
hills.     As  we  skirt  along  the  high  precipices  over- 
hanging these  valleys  we  see  far  below  us  the  white 
roads  winding  through  them  like  lines  of  chalk,  and 
the  narrow,  well-trodden  sheep  paths  crossing  the 
opposite  mountains  in   every  direction.     Thus  we 
passed  on  through  valley  after  valley,  through  tun- 
nel after  tunnel,  just  at  sunset,  when  a  peculiar  pur- 
ple light  rested  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  valleys, 
glowing  with  a  crimson  radiance  on  the  snow<lad 


236 


THE  PYRENEES. 


tops,  or  fringing  the  clouds,  which  often  rolled 
around  their  summits.  One  valley,  called  Urema, 
seemed  a  little  paradise,  glowing  in  living  green 
far  below  us.  White,  snow-clad  mountains  piercing 
the  clouds  stood  sentinels  around  it  on  every  side, 
with  flowers,  bloom,  and  verdure  at  their  base.  At 
a  place  called  Ormaiztequy  we  pass,  on  a  grand  via- 
duct of  solid  masonry,  a  marvel  of  engineering  skill, 
hundreds  of  feet  high,  from  one  side  of  the  valley  to 
the  other,  and  at  Villareal  we  pass  under  a  moun- 
tain  by  a  tunnel  miles  in  extent. 

We  are  now  among  the  valleys  and  lofty  peaks 
of  this  chain  of  mountains,  which  are  the  bulwark  of 
Spain,  and  isolate  it  from  Europe.   They  can  be  dis- 
tinctly traced  as  a  chain  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
into  Tartary.     When  looked  at  from  a  distance,  as 
from  Montserrat,  the  chain  appears  hke  a  vast  sea  of 
mountain   peaks  rising  like  billows   on  the   stormy 
ocean,  without  any  order,  but  in  fact  they  constitute 
two   distinct    chains  of  mountains,   from  15  to  30 
miles  apart,  stretching  from  the  sea  to  the  ocean. 
Many  of  the  peaks  are  over  11,000  feet  high. 

There  are  numerous  passes  from  north  to  south, 
but  few  that  can  be  traversed  by  wheels.  They 
abound  in  beautiful  valleys,  hot  and  medicinal 
springs,  rare  woods  and  excellent  iron  ore,  wild 
game  and  fish. 

The  southern  slope,  on  the  side  of  Spain,  is  rough 


THE  PYRENEES. 


^17 


and  precipitous,  while  the  northern  front  falls  off 
more  gradually,  with  terraces  and  table  lands,  into 
French  territory,  where  there  are  numerous  spas 
and  beautiful  healthful  resorts  for  invalids. 

The  Spanish  Pyrenees,  both  as  to  cultivation  and 
the  habits  and  manners  of  the  people,  remain  in  the 
same  primitive  state  in  which  they  were  centuries 
ago. 

LOYOLA. 

About  fifteen  miles  west  of  Villa  Real,  among  the 
mountains,  lies  the  little  town  of  Aspeytea,  distin- 
guished only  as  the  birth-place  of  Ignatius  Loyola, 
who  was  born  in  1491. 

After  the  battle  of  Pampeluna,  in  15 15,  he  retired 
here  desperately  wounded,  and  remained  a  long 
time  fluttering  between  life  and  death,  until  St. 
Peter,  having  pity  upon  him,  descended  and  healed 
him.  Here,  inclosing  the  very  room  where  he  was 
born,  and  where  he  lay  so  long  ill,  royal  hands 
have  erected  a  monastery  to  his  memory. 

In  July  every  summer  a  grand  pilgrimage  is  made 
from  all  parts  of  Spain  to  this  shrine,  to  do  honor  to 
this  man  whose  influence  has  cursed  this  country 
for  centuries,  whose  order  was  annulled  by  the  Pope 
in  1773,  and  banished  from  Spain  in  1769.  Yet  the 
influence  of  the  Jesuits — an  order  not  of  priests 
only,  but  one  that  unites  monastic  devotion  with 


238 


JESUITISM. 


military  discipline  and  courtly  diplomacy — is  every- 
where felt  in  Spain.  As  the  most  subtle  and  effi- 
cient agency  for  the  propagation  and  conservation 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  this  order  is  justly  appre- 
ciated. The  deeds  of  self-sacrificing  devotion  which 
they  have  accomplished  in. many  heathen  lands 
are  among  the  most  splendid  examples  of  what  the 
human  mind,  fired  by  a  tireless  enthusiasm,  can  ac- 
complish. Witness  the  labors  of  Francis  Xavier  in 
India  and  Japan,  the  heroic  life  and  tragic  death  of 
Lalemant  and  Breboeuf  and  other  Jesuit  mission- 
aries among  the  Indians  of  Canada. 

The  lives  of  these  men  is  a  romance  of  devotion 
to  their  idea  of  duty  exceeded  only  by  that  of  St. 
Paul ;  and  yet  a  system  must  be  judged  by  its  prin- 
ciples and  their  effects  as  worked  out  on  the  large 
scale  and  through  long  periods  of  time,  and  not 
from  a  few  solitary  examples,  however  brilliant. 
Viewed  in  this  light,  the  order  of  Loyola  would  appear 
far  different  from  what  it  would  if  Francis  Xavier  is 
taken  as  a  fair  exponent  of  its  character.  The 
object  of  the  Order  of  Jesus  was  to  unite  spiritual 
and  temporal  power,  and  to  perpetuate  the  Papacy 
as  a  ruling  system,  not  as  a  religion.  Their  principle 
of  action  was  that  "  the  end  justifies  the  means ; "  that 
"faith  need  not  be  observed  toward  heretics;'*  in 
other  words,  that  truth  and  justice,  right  and  wrong, 
were  variable  principles,   and  they  the  self-consti- 


JESUITISM, 


239 


tuted  judges  of  their  application.  Such  an  assump- 
tion, cherished  by  any  order  of  men,  will  invari- 
ably dry  up  the  better  sympathies  of  their  nature, 
render  them  subtle,  selfish  and  cruel,  and  will  sap 
the  foundation  of  all  confidence  between  man  and 
man. 

Such  has  been  the  history  of  the  Order  of  Jesus 
wherever  they  have  gained  a  foothold.  They  have 
been  a  dark,  crafty  element  of  discord  in  Church  and 
State,  despite  individual  instances  of  sublime  heroism 
in  many  of  its  members. 

In  forming  our  judgment  of  this  order,  we  should 
consider  the  means  used  by  them.  They  used  the 
religious  sentiment  of  men  to  gain  ascendancy  over 
their  minds.  They  persuaded  the  people  not  to 
think,  not  to  reason,  not  to  read ;  they  taught  that 
souls  would  be  saved  by  implicit  obedience  only. 
They  laid  hold,  with  a  worldly  policy  upon  all 
human  means  of  moving  and  holding  the  minds  of 
men.  They  built  fine  churches  and  schools ;  sent 
forth  missionaries ;  mingled  in  courts ;  sought  secu- 
lar power;  united  the  characteristics  of  priest  and 
courtier.  This  deep,  crafty  policy  of  saving  men's 
souls  for  them,  of  thinking  and  acting  for  them,  has 
had  and  does  have  its  effect  in  Spain  more  than  in 
any  other  country.  It  falls  in  with  the  indolent  and 
superstitious  character  of  the  people.  You  will  see 
in  all  parts  of  Spain  the  black   cloak  and  broad- 


240 


JESUITISM, 


brimmed  hat,  and  the  wary,  crafty  features  of  the 
courtier  priest  underneath. 

Loyola  died  July  31,  1556,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years,  and  was  made  a  saint  about  100  years 
afterward,  and  thus  we  have  the  spectacle  of  one 
infallible  Pope  suppressing  the  order  of  Loyola  as 
dangerous  and  wicked,  and  another  pope,  equally 
infallible,  declaring  him  a  saint. 

We  now  descend  the  northern  slope  of  the 
Pyrenees  through  many  romantic  passes,  which  are 
the  key  to  Spain,  and  which  were  fought  for  by 
Wellington  and  Napoleon.  We  are  now  in  one  of 
the  Basque  Provinces,  which  are  so  full  of  interest 
to  the  ethnologist.  Here  we  find  a  people  whose 
origin  and  language  are  pre-historic. 

Irun  is  the  last  town  on  the  frontier.  The  River 
Bidassoa  is  the  boundary  line  between  France  and 
Spain.  As  we  cross  this  on  a  fine  iron  bridge,  we 
notice  far  below  us  a  small  island  in  the  river,  which 
has  been  the  scene  of  many  important  events.  It 
is  called  the  Isle  of  Conference.  It  is  neutral 
ground,  and  as  such  the  sovereigns  of  France  and 
Spain  have  made  this  the  place  of  their  mutual  ne- 
gotiations for  many  centuries.  It  was  at  Bayonne,  a 
few  miles  from  here,  that  Catharine  de  Medicis,  of 
France,  and  the  Duke  of  Alva,  representing  Philip 
II.  of  Spain,  met  and  planned  the  Massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew,  which  was  so  successfully  carried  out 


1 


BA  YONNE. 


241 


that  30,000  Protestants  were  slaughtered  on  the 
24th  and  25th  days  of  August,  1572.  This  deed  of 
blood,  which  horrified  the  rest  of  the  civilized 
world,  was  approved  by  the  Pope,  who  ordered  a 
general  thanksgiving  to  God,  whose  gospel  of  love, 
peace  and  good-will  to  men  had  been  so  signally 
illustrated  thereby. 

The  journey  across  France  from  Bayonne  to  Mar- 
seilles will  bring  us  to  our  starting  place. 

BAYONNE 

is  situated  on  the  Adour  and  the  Nive,  near  the  sea, 
has  a  good  harbor,  docks  and  numerous  manufac- 
tories. Here  we  begin  to  feel  the  pulses  of  business 
life,  in  strange  contrast  with  the  deadness  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Pyrenees.  The  Adour  runs 
through  the  town,  and  is  crossed  by  massive 
bridges.  The  streets  are  wide,  and  open  into  large 
and  well-built  squares.  The  railroad  to  Toulouse 
follows  up  the  Adour  to  the  East.  On  every  hand 
the  people  are  at  work  in  the  fields;  cows  are 
yoked  to  carts  and  plows;  the  farming  instru- 
ments are  not  so  rude  as  those  used  in  Spain.  On 
our  right  hand  all  the  way  across  the  kingdom  tower 
the  Pyrenees.  We  pass  through  Pau,  situate  on  a 
high  plateau  250  feet  above  the  Gave  de  Pau,  with  a 
beautiful   green   valley   along   its  banks.     On   this 

XI 


242 


LOURDES. 


plateau  are  situated  the  hotels  looking  down  on 
the  river  and  valley,  and   beyond  it  a  few  miles, 
lie  a  line  of    low  blue    mountains,    and    beyond 
them  to  the  South  the  snow^lad  Pyrenees,  which 
stretch  away  to  the  East  in  peaks,  cones  and  ser- 
rated   ridges   as    far  as   the  eye  can   reach.    The 
railroad  winds  along  the  river,  continually  ascend- 
ing, until  we   strike   a  spur  of  the  Pyrenees   at   a 
point  where  the  river  breaks  through,  and  then  we 
rise  in  a  few  miles  6cx)  feet,  and  emerge  into  an  up- 
land  valley  with  mountain  tops  all  around  and  the 
snow-capped  Pyrenees  from  a  distance  looking  into 
it.    This  13  the  village  of 

LOURDES, 

which  has  so  recently  been  added  to  the  already  long 
array  of  shrines  made  holy  by  the  miraculous  pres- 
ence of  the  Virgin.     Upon  a  hill  just  out  of  the  vil- 
lage is  a  splendid  new  church  erected  over  the  place 
where  the  Virgin  mother  appeared  to  a  peasant  girl 
in  1858.    The  poor  people,  out  of  curiosity,  began 
to  flock  to  the  place,  and  still  the  wonder  grew, 
until  in  a  few  weeks  150,000  persons  had  come  to 
see  it.  The  authorities  at  last  forbade  the  assemblage 
as  a  nuisance.    The  Bishop  of  Tarbes  thought  bet- 
ter of  it.    A  holy  shrine  in  any  man's  bishopric  is 
not  to  be  despised.     Every  pilgrim  leaves  a  certain 


\ 


LANGUEDOC. 


243 


amount  of  money.     The  bishop  declared  the  mir- 
acle veritable. 

Here  now  come  pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  At  this  time  a  pilgrimage  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  distinguished  English  nobleman,  is  on  its 
way  to  the  shrine,  said  to  be  undertaken  for  the 
purpose  of  enlisting  the  sympathies  of  the  Virgin  in 
behalf  of  England  in  her  difficulties  with  Ireland. 

Why  is  it  that  none  of  these  holy  places  are  found 
in  Protestant  countries?  Is  it  because  Catholics 
would  be  ashamed  to  defend  them  in  the  face  of 
Protestants,  or  is  it  that  the  Virgin  will  not  vouch- 
safe her  presence  among  Protestants?  But  why 
should  she  not  use  her  power  to  convert  unbe- 
lievers? Is  not  this  the  province  of  miracles? 
Would  not  all  Protestants  be  persuaded  could  they 
witness  a  veritable  miracle?  Is  it  not  a  fact  that 
the  alleged  miracles  always  happen  among  ignorant, 
superstitious  people,  liable  to  excitement  and  decep- 
tion ?  Have  they  ever  been  performed  among  the 
more  matter-of-fact  people  of  Germany,  England, 
Scotland,  and  the  United  States  ? 

LANGUEDOC. 

In  pursuing  our  journey  to  Toulouse,  the  capital 
of  ancient  Languedoc,  we  strike  the  head  waters  of 
the  Garonne,  and  pursue  its  beautiful  valley  north- 


244 


LANGUEDOC, 


LANGUEDOC, 


245 


III 


east  through  a   rich   and   well^ultivated    country. 
Languedoc  was  the  ancient  name  for  a  number  of 
departments  in  France   with  more  modern   names 
which  he   north  of  the  Pyrenees  and  west  of  the 
Rhone.     Its  capital  was  Toulouse,  which  is  a  fine 
city,  with  130,000  inhabitants,  situated  on  the  River 
Garonne,  which  is  crossed  by  a  magnificent  bridge, 
810  feet  long  and  72  feet  wide.     It  is  surrounded 
by  a  rich  agricultural  district,  and  has  a  large  trade 
for  an  inland  town.     It  is  well   built,  with  many 
large  squares,  and  is  more  emphatically  a  French 
city  than  other  cities  farther  north,  which  are  more 
frequented  by  foreigners.     Here  was  born  Henry 
IV  of  France. 

Languedoc  has  a  mournful  history.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  thirteenth  century  it  was  one  of  the 
most  fertile,  sunny,  happy  parts  of  France  until  the 
Inquisition  laid  its  bloody  hand  upon  it,  scathed  it 
with  fire  and  deluged  it  with  blood  in  the  name  of 
religion. 

It  was  the  land  of  poetry  and  song,  of  elegance 
and  freedom,  the  home  of  the  Troubadour. 
Count  Bayard  VI  was  then  prince.  By  their 
association  with  Barcelona  and  other  cities  re- 
cently  Moorish,  and  with  Jews  and  Arabs  in  the 
seaports,  the  people  came  to  cherish  tolerance  in 
religious  opinions,  and  here  at  last  grew  up  the 
heresy  of  denying  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope,  the 


MWiiliiyiiii^^ 


authority  of  the  priesthood,  the  efficacy  of  prayer 
for  the  dead,  and  the  existence  of  purgatory.    They 
reviled  the  enormities  of  the  priests  in  their  ballads. 
They    were  rich,  joyous,   worldly,   happy.      Their 
beautiful  land,  their  wealth,  their  happy,  careless 
life,  excited  the  envy  of  that  great  high  priest  of  the 
Inquisition,  Dominic  Guzman.     He  could   not  en- 
dure either  their  loose  ballads  or  their  heresy,  and 
at  last,  under  the  authority  of  Pope  Innocent  III, 
he  began  to  preach  the  extermination  of  the  Albi- 
genses,  so  called  from  Alby,  a  city  of  Languedoc. 
Here  the  Inquisition  was  first  established,  to  hunt 
out  and  try  heretics  by  torture  and  death.     Its  ad- 
ministration was  committed   to  the  fanatical  Cas- 
tilian,  Dominic. 

It  did  not  succeed  in  extirpating  the  heresy, 
and  then  the  famous  crusade  against  the  Albigenses 
was  preached  and  prosecuted  by  the  Church,  from 
1208  to  1220.  This  crusade  was  the  most  noted, 
bloody,  and  disgraceful  event  of  the  thirteenth  cent- 
ury. It  called  together  an  army  composed  of  rude 
northern  knights,  and  of  the  wild,  reckless  spirits  of 
the  age  led  by  Simon  de  Montfort,  thirsting  for 
blood  and  plunder.  Allured  by  the  hope  of  sacking 
the  beautiful  and  rich  cities  of  Southern  France, 
they  came  in  hordes,  like  vultures  to  the  prey,  and 
for  twelve  years  this  war  was  carried  on  with  the 
most  savage   ferocity  under  the  authority   of    the 


I 


I 


246 


ALBIGENSES. 


Pope.  The  human  tigers  reveled  in  blood.  It  was 
a  crusade  without  the  peril  of  a  long  journey  to 
Palestine.  It  was  a  rich  land  to  plunder ;  it  was  a 
^2iPPy>  joyous  clime  in  which  to  revel ;  it  was  an 
opportunity  to  gratify  all  the  brutal  passions  of  a 
brutal  age,  under  the  sanction  of  religion  and  with 
the  promise  of  Paradise.  The  Vicar  of  the  meek 
and  loving  Christ,  from  his  throne  in  the  Vatican, 
said  in  his  commission:  "You  shall  ravage  every 
field ;  you  shall  slay  every  human  being.  Strike  and 
spare  not.  The  measure  of  their  iniquity  is  full  and 
the  blessing  of  the  Church  is  on  your  heads/* 

This  beautiful,  sunny  land  of  the  Troubadour  was 
soon  a  smoking  ruin.    The  savage  hordes  of  foreign 
invaders  sacked  the  cities,  slaughtered  women  and 
children,   until  these   missionaries  of    the   Mother 
Church  had  murdered  one-half  of  the  people,  and 
until  the  friar  Dominic  himself  could  no  longer  en- 
dure the  sight  of  the  flowing  blood  which  reddened 
all  her  rivers  and  her  sunny  plains.      This    is    said 
to  have  been  the  first  essay  the  Church  made  to 
sustain  its  supremacy  by  force  of  arms  against  Chris- 
tians.   Hitherto  pagans  and  infidels  only  had  felt  the 
constraining  influence  of  the  Christian  sword,  but 
now  and  hereafter  the  heretic  was  to  try  its  restrain- 
ing  power,  and  from  this  date  the  Inquisition  took 
its  rise.    Its  tortures  and  its  fires  were  for  ages  after- 
ward to  be  the  agents  of  persuasion  instead  of  rea- 


:, 


ALBIGENSES, 


247 


son  and  love.  In  this  war,  by  one  assault  on 
Beziers,  20,000  persons  were  destroyed  in  cold 
blood  for  having  given  protection  to  fugitives.  The 
Abbot  of  Cetaux  was  present  with  the  commission 
and  as  the  representative  of  the  Pope.  The  soldiers 
were  in  doubt  how  to  distinguish,  in  their  indiscrim- 
inate slaughter,  the  heretics  from  the  believers. 
The  Bishop  in  his  holy  zeal  solved  the  difficulty  by 
saying,  "  Slay  them  all.  The  Lord  will  know  his 
own."  This  bishop  gave  an  account  of  the  slaugh- 
ter to  the  Pope,  and  regretted  he  had  been  able  to 
slay  only  20,000.  In  this  Albigensian  war  250,000 
lives  were  offered  up  as  a  holocaust  to  the  God  of 
love,  as  a  mark  of  the  zeal  and  loyalty  of  his  vice- 
gerent on  the  throne  of  the  Vatican. 

Oh,  religion,  what  crimes  have  been  done  in  thy 

name! 

Our  journey  takes  us  through  Castelnaudary,  Car- 
cassonne, and  Beziers,  all  places  of  note  in  this  cru- 
sade, and  which  suffered  terribly  at  the  hands  of 
the  fierce  bigot,  Simon  de  Montfort. 

We  pass  the  cities  of  Narbonne,  Cette,  Nismes, 
all  of  which  are  places  of  interest,  but  which  we  can- 
not stop  to  describe.  At  Tarrascon  we  cross  the 
Rhone,  and  are  soon  at  our  starting  place,  the  City 
of  Marseilles,  and  our  journey  from  the  Pyrenees  to 
the  Pillars  of  Hercules  is  ended. 

It  may  appear  as  if  we  had  been  seeking  every 


248 


ALBIGENSES. 


opportunity  to  show  the  dark  and  tragic  deeds  done 
in  the  name  of  religion,  but  the  truth  is  that  the 
Catholic  religion  has  had  a  more  complete  sway  over 
the  human  mind  in  Spain  than  in  any  other  country 
on  the  globe,  not  excepting  Italy.  It  has  allied  itself 
with  government,  and  for  carrying  out  its  policy 
for  the  elevation  and  salvation  of  the  human  mind 
it  has  here  always  had  the  arm  of  civil  power  to  en- 
force its  behests,  and  has  thus  had  a  fair  test  for 
centuries  with  every  human  resource  at  its  disposal. 

As  its  marked  deeds  and  triumphs  come  out  on 
the  page  of  history,  from  age  to  age,  as  place  after 
place  recalls  them  in  our  travels,  does  not  truth 
^nd  justice  to  principle  demand  that  these  deeds, 
the  outcome  of  a  great,  the  greatest  ecclesiastical 
polity  of  the  world,  should  be  fairly  stated  ? 

Puritanism  must  be  responsible  for  persecution  of 
witchcraft,  and  explain  it  as  best  it  can ;  Calvin  for 
the  death  of  Servetus ;  Mohammedanism  for  polyg- 
amy;  and  Romanism  for  the  Inquisition,  for  St. 
Bartholomew's  day,  for  the  massacre  of  the  Albi- 
genses,  and  for  Jesuitism  and  Mariolatry.  After 
centuries  of  trial  it  is  fair  to  judge  every  system  of 
religion  by  its  effects.  The  divine  rule  must  be 
applied  :  "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  On 
this  principle  compare  England  and  Spain,  Ireland 
and  Scotland,  New  England  and  the  South  Ameri- 
can States,  any  Protestant  with  any  Catholic  country. 


ALBIGENSES, 


249 


With  these  reflections  and  apologies  we  bid  fare- 
well to  Spain,  the  land  of  the  past.  Poor,  proud, 
haughty,  ignorant,  living  on  her  past  glories,  which 
she  wraps  around  her  nakedness,  as  one  of  her 
poverty-stricken  hidalgos,  glorying  in  his  lofty  lin- 
eage, draws  his  ancient  cloak  around  his  lank  limbs 
and  tattered  garments,  and  persuades  himself  that 
he  is  still  one  of  the  grand  old  knights  of  other  days. 

But  the  days  of  her  humiliation  will  end.  When 
a  pure,  benign  Christian  religion  shall  be  taught  by 
her  priesthood  ;  when  superstition  shall  lose  its 
sway ;  when  education  shall  elevate  the  people,  and 
a  free  liberal  government  shall  extend  its  shield  of 
protection  over  them ;  when  the  colors  of  its  pa- 
triots like  Castelar  shall  be  crowned  with  success, 
then  will  Spain  again  resume  her  place  among  the 
great  nations  of  the  earth  with  all  her  ancient 
prestige  and  glory. 


THE  END. 


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